LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq has called for a forensic audit of independent power producers (IPPs), asserting that the government must either renegotiate the agreements with the owners or take up the matter with international courts.
While talking to reporters at Mansoorah on Wednesday, he also urged the chief justice to take action against the costly agreements and hold those responsible accountable with the ultimate goal of providing relief to the masses. He also unveiled a white paper on the energy sector during the event.
The JI chief advocated for legitimate trade with Iran and the completion of the IP-Gas Pipeline Project.
He emphasised that if US pressure hinders progress, the government should demand affordable energy from Washington.
He said smuggling along the Iran border could not occur without some level of official involvement. He said the mafia was reaping the benefits of the illicit trade, ultimately causing substantial losses to the general public and the national treasury.
The JI leader criticised past governments for their flawed decisions, attributing the misery of the masses to their actions. He pointed out that the former governments of the PPP and the PML-N had entered into agreements with companies to produce expensive electricity, neglecting the potential for cheap and accessible electricity through local resources.
He questioned the logic behind establishing power generation projects that relied on imported coal and criticized the PML-N’s decision to place these projects far from the coastline, incurring significant transportation costs that burdened the national budget.
He also criticised the PTI’s failure to address the issue of costly electricity generation in the private sector.
Haq demanded a reduction in electricity tariffs and stressed that caretaker governments should not have the authority to raise tariffs. Instead, he insisted that caretaker administrations should shift their focus from sending high bills to consumers to addressing the billions lost due to line losses and power theft, as well as recovering funds from both private and government sectors. He highlighted that electricity bills consisted of a substantial 48 percent in taxes and noted that Pakistan produced significantly more expensive electricity than the entire South Asian region.
The JI chief announced that the JI would stage a protest in front of the Karachi Governor’s House against inflation. The, JI, he added, had staged sit-ins in front of Governor Houses in Peshawar, Lahore, and Quetta, as well as protest demonstrations in Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rahim Yar Khan, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi. He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to continue its struggle until the rights of the people were duly addressed.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023