JI launches protest drive against KE over load-shedding

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chapter on Monday launched a protest drive against the K-Electric (KE) over prolonged power outages in the city after a three-day deadline set by the former for the latter lapsed.

On the first day of the drive on Monday, the JI organised a sit-in in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area where party leaders criticised the KE for its failure to curb prolonged load-shedding during the peak of the summer season. A large number of area residents and JI workers participated in the protest.

The second protest will be held in District West tomorrow (Wednesday). Addressing the sit-in in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, JI Karachi Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said such protest sit-ins would be held in various areas of the city and the KE headquarters would be besieged on June 12.

He demanded of the federal government and the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority to cancel the licence of the KE for its failure to act upon the agreement signed at the time of the then Karachi Electric Supply Company’s (KESC) privatisation.

“The KE has irked the citizens in two ways. On the one hand, the KE has broken the records of load-shedding and on the other hand, it is overcharging with impunity,” he said. The JI leader alleged that the KE, federal government and Nepra were working in a nexus to exploit the people of Karachi. He remarked that the situation in Karachi was alarming due to announced and unannounced load-shedding both during the day and night timings. “On contrary to the KE’s claims, 70 per cent customers of the KE are facing load-shedding,” he maintained.

According to Rehman, the government had failed to provide any relief to the residents of Karachi. “Then KESC was privatised to end load-shedding but despite the passage of 16 long years, the KE was able to increase the production of electricity by 11 per cent only.”

The current government and former ruling regimes had been hands in gloves with the KE, the JI leader remarked. “The KE was playing the role of a mafia while there was no institution to keep a check on the electricity meters,” he alleged.

He further said that 30 million people in Karachi had no effective platform to complain against the KE. JI District East chief Azizuddin Zaffar, Karachi Deputy Secretary Yunus Barai and other leaders also spoke to the sit-in.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the JI city chief expressed deep sorrow and grief over the Daharki train accident and demanded of the government to launch a judicial inquiry into the incident.

He also demanded of the government to grant compensation to the affected families and provide free-of-charge medical treatment to the injured. The JI leader also sought resignation of the railway minister while reminding the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of its previous stance over such accidents. He added that those responsible for the accident should be made an example for others.