KARACHI-The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi has staged over 200 protest demonstrations to observe a protest day against skyrocketing increase in electricity bills and overcharging on part of the K-Electric, here on Friday.
JI Karachi Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman presided over a big protest demonstration by traders as part of the protest day held at Main Jama Cloth Market. A large number of shopkeepers and traders participated in the demonstration. Besides the Jama Cloth Market, demonstrations were staged outside the mosques after Friday prayers and other spots in the city.
Traders’ leaders including Attique Mir, Mahmood Hamid, Shaikh Alam, Asif Gulfam, Sharif Memon among others addressed the protest demonstration.
Speaking on the occasion, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman demanded of the government to pull the strings of the white collar criminals at the K-Electric before people take the law into their own hands.
He hailed the traders’ community for raising their voice at a time when a very few people dare to raise their voice against injustice. He said that the traders’ protest will open flood doors for reaction across the city against the KE.
Lambasting the caretaker government, he said that the regime following the footprints of previous government dropped the petrol and electricity bombshells on the masses.
At one hand, it has become next to impossible for the people to meet both ends, whereas on the other, the government has been supporting mafias, including the KE, against them. He also lambasted the government for increasing the prices of utilities despite the already skyrocketing inflation. The situation has pushed the masses beyond a psychological level, where people have started talking about suicide or subjecting those who cut electricity to what they think the oppressors deserve, he said.
On the occasion, he thanked Goplani for adopting a balanced viewpoint, condemning the incident, in connection with the previous day’s incident and said that Karachiites have been victimised by the K-Electric but they don’t want to clash with poor contract based employees of the KE. However, he warned the high-up of the KE for agitation against them at their offices and houses if the situation prevails.
He further said that Goplani’s electricity connection is cut off because of non-payment of few thousands but no one dare to touch the KE despite the fact that it was defaulter of Rs177 billion to Sui Southern Gas Company, Rs50 billion to Karachiites under the head of clawback.
On the occasion, he said that all the options, including sit-in outside the K-Electric headquarters or the Sindh Governor House are on cards and the JI would decide after consultation with the trade leaders and the civil society.