RAWALPINDI  -  The shopkeepers, traders and mem­bers of civil society have staged pro­test demonstration in Jabbar Chowk in Gujar Khan against hike in electric­ity tariff here on Wednesday. 

Traders, shopkeepers and resi­dents of Jabbar took to the roads against high increase in electricity tariffs and heavy taxation on elec­tricity bills. They shouted slogans against the power utility company and the government. They had torn the electricity bills and announced to not pay the bills. Umer Khan, a shopkeeper, said that the NEPRA had increased the electricity tar­iff by Rs 5.83 while doubling the miseries of common man. He said merely a 50-unit electricity bill has surpassed thousands of rupees. Arshad Ahmed, another trader, said that highest rate of inflation has already compromised purchas­ing power of the citizens which is hurting trading activity across the country. He said that in the current circumstances another increase electricity tariffs would push many businesses out of the market. The government should pay little at­tention to common man woes who was already bearing brunt of un­mindful economic decisions of the government, he said. 

Meanwhile, District Bar Asso­ciation Rawalpindi has called a session on August 26 against the continuously rising prices of elec­tricity, water, gas, petrol and other daily use items. The representa­tives of DBA Rawalpindi to discuss the sufferings of general public and luxurious life style of rules and the elite class in this era of price hike. The session was summoned on res­olution of former President DBA Sajjad Akbar Abbasi Advocate.