ISLAMABAD: Some Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians have now started protesting with the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, who is also Chairman of the party, on inflated electricity bills and high inflation, which can affect the second phase of Local Government (LG) elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
These sentiments were conveyed by Parliamentary Secretary, Privatisation Commission, Bashir Khan, in a letter to the Prime Minister.
In his letter written on December 27, 2021, Bashir Khan said, he is conveying the letter to convey the protest of the people of NA-07 against the recent sharp rise in Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) in electricity bills and inflation.
According to him the people of NA-07 protested against the recent sharp rise in fuel price adjustment in electricity bills and deposited their electricity bills at his house in protest – people who consumed only 50 units of electricity which is priced at Rs380. However, in addition, the cost of Fuel Price Adjustment in electricity bills is Rs 940, which implies that those who consumed only 50 units have to pay Rs 1400 electricity bill.
“There is a lot of grief and anger among the people of Lower Dir due to inflated bills,” he added.
According to Bashir Khan daily load shedding in NA-07 has made it difficult for the people to make ends meet which is why people are protesting on a daily basis.
“Grief and anger among the people of NA-07 over inflation and recent sharp rise in Fuel Price Adjustment in electricity bill may affect the upcoming Local Government (LG) Election (phase-II), as the attitudes of the people of NA-07 show that people are quite annoyed due to inflation and rise in price of electricity, he further contended.
PTI has lost LG elections’ first phase in majority constituencies of 17 cities. Parliamentary Secretary on Privatisation has requested that before the upcoming Local Body Election (Phase-11) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government must recant sharp rise in fuel price adjustment in electricity bills, as well as, inflation may be reviewed/ controlled so that there would be no impediment for public representatives to go meet their constituents.
Senators from treasury and opposition, who are Members of Senate Standing Committee on Power, have also protested at inflated bills in the country, which have made the lives of common man difficult in the country.
Chairman Standing Committee on Power, Senator Saif Ullah Abro, who hails from Sindh, was more vocal than his other colleagues, by stating that he cannot go to his native area because people abuse him due to inflated electricity bills, load shedding and high inflation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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