KARACHI: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to stage symbolic sit-ins against the atrocities of K-Electric (KE), besides knocking the door of the Supreme Court.
Addressing a press conference outside the head office of KE here on Sunday, PTI MPAs said they would strongly protest against the 'cruel monopoly' of KE over power sector of the mega-city Karachi, urging the federation to allow other market players to enter the power sector. This will create a competitive environment.
Leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi, central joint secretary MNA Aftab Siddiqui, MNAs Aslam Khan, Faheem Khan, Aftab Jahangir, Saima Siddiqui, Nusrat Wahid, Ghazala Saifi, MPAs Saeed Afridi, Jamal Siddiqui, Raja Azhar, Bilal Ghaffar, Shahnawaz Jadoon, Adeeba Hassan, Rabistan Khan, Umar Amari, Kareem Bux Gabol, Ali Aziz GG, Dr Sanji Gangwani and other leaders were present in the press conference.
Speaking on the occasion, Firdous Shamim Naqvi said Karachi has been facing electricity supply problems for long. However, instead of resolving these issues, the KESC was privatised. He said this privatisation contract was later extended to 2023. He said the owners of privatised KESC changed but the problems of Karachi electricity consumers continued, as the people are facing unannounced prolonged power cuts besides inflated bills.
He said the Karachiites are against the costly electricity. They want cheap electricity. He said electricity rates in whole Pakistan should be same. He said if Karachi gets cheap electricity whole Pakistan would be benefited. He said every summer, the KE rubs salt into the wounds of Karachi electricity consumers.
He said so far the KE has failed to resolve this load shedding issue. He said the KE in meeting with the government presented a lame excuse that they had no furnace oil. He said the federal government arranged furnace oil for the KE. Then again the KE presented another lame excuse that they have no gas and they were given LNG. He said the KE promised in Governor House to end load shedding in 48 hours but to no avail.
He said the Karachiites are fed up with persisting load shedding and excessive billing. He said he demands from the federal government to issue tenders before 2023 for inviting other companies to take part in bidding for private electricity sector in Karachi. He said the KE should be divided into three companies. He said finding an urgent alternative of the KE is a must.
MNA Aftab Siddiqui said we have had several meetings and we were assured that the load shedding in the megacity will end by June 28. He said the KE is not serious to resolve load shedding issue. He said Gul Ahmed and Tapal give 200 megawatts electricity to the KE. He said every facility including gas is being given to the KE, but it is not ready to end the exploitation of Karachi power consumers.
He said the citizens are facing agonising over billing besides the menace of load shedding. He said the PTI would go to the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the KE this week. He said PTI leaders would stage a symbolic sit-in daily in their protest camp opposite the head office of the KE.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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