Protests erupted across the country on Friday as people came out on the streets against the soaring electricity bills.
Protests and rallies were held outside the offices of distribution companies in many cities across the country. In Karachi, traders and workers of Jamaat-e-Islami held a protest outside K-Electric and demanded a reversal of the recent hikes in the price of electricity. Traders also warned that markets will be turned into ‘No-go areas’ for K-Electric staff if the price increase isn’t reversed.
Protests were also held in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Gujranwala, Narowal, Kasur, Attock, Sargodha, Peshawar, Haripur, and many other cities across the country.
Protesters in Multan blocked roads and chanted slogans against the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO). In Gujranwala, citizens gathered outside the office of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO).
In many cities protesters also chanted slogans against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and burned electricity bills.
It is pertinent to mention here that last month, the federal cabinet approved the power regulator’s request to increase the national average tariff. Subsequently, the national uniform electricity tariff was increased by up to Rs. 7.5 per unit with effect from July 1, 2023. The increase effectively took the end rate of electricity, including surcharges and taxes, beyond Rs. 55 per unit for some categories.
Featured image: Protesters burning electricity bills in Azad Kashmir.
