KARACHI: Awaam Pakistan Party leader Miftah Ismail announced his intention to file a petition against K-Electric, highlighting a sharp 350% increase in electricity rates since 2015.
Addressing a protest outside K-Electric’s head office, Ismail criticized the current government’s handling of electricity tariffs and the burden it places on ordinary citizens. He pointed out that the Pakistan People’s Party had pledged to provide 300 free units of electricity, yet the reality has been starkly different.
“The government should not give free electricity per unit, but if the rate is correct, whose salaries have increased by 350 percent?” he questioned. He further argued that if ordinary citizens are not receiving free electricity, no one else should either.
“We are not vandals, but we will go and put our case in front of everyone,” Ismail asserted, expressing confidence that the media will highlight the plight of the common man and present the government’s position on the issue.
“Why does load shedding not reduce the bill?” Ismail questioned, criticizing the persistent power outages and their impact on citizens. He stressed that if there is a 12-hour load shedding, the total bill should be less.
Ismail also criticized the government’s fiscal policies, highlighting a 37% tax charged on commercial electricity usage and increased government expenditures. “The expenses of the Senate and National Assembly have been increased,” he noted, urging the government not to impose additional taxes on domestic consumers.
