KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday announced to speed up its anti-inflation drive to force the caretaker rule to scale back the fresh hike in petroleum and power prices, seeking the public support as well.
JI Karachi Chief Engr Naeemur Rehman announced during a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq that the JI is also holding protest demonstrations over 1000 different points across Karachi on Wednesday. He said that the protests are part of the anti-inflation drive to press the caretaker government to withdraw the fuel oil and electricity prices hike. He said that people from all walks of life will be part of its protests.
The JI will also observe a strike across the country on September 2, 2023. He said that his party’s women wing is also holding a “historical” march on Thursday to resent the soaring prices of electricity.
Citing the court orders and NEPRA’s decision, he said that it is “obligatory” for the caretaker government to refrain the KE “mafia” from cutting off the consumers electricity connections.
He blamed the rising inflation responsible for the suicide trend amongst the poor in the society, saying that the underprivileged class struggles as helpless. The JI leader also accused the caretaker rule of facilitating the “inhuman policies” which its predecessor - the PDM coalition government had framed for the nation.
He said that the incumbent ruling setup cannot distance itself from the policies of its predecessor and called it a “continuation” of the PDM government. “The caretaker prime minister has no right to govern if he is able to increase inflation by raising fuel oil prices but remains unable to reduce unbearable taxes and tariffs,” Hafiz Naeem said.
The power generation cost is not more than Rs6.73 per unit; he said and termed the electricity tariff hike to Rs23 a unit as result of the “corrupt” rule in the past.
He also termed the KE is a “white collar mafia” that has been imposed on Karachi and its citizens. “Its license is not revoked despite being a defaulter of Rs662 billion to the national grid, Rs177 billion to the SSGC and over Rs50 billion to consumers in the name of claw back,” he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023