KARACHI, Sept 13: Former national assembly members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have castigated the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority for allowing the KESC to increase its tariff by 6.5 per cent.

In a statment, they said the government policy of frequent increase in gas and petroleum products had plunged the common man into deep trouble and demanded that the increase be withdrawn.

The said the utility was trying to convey that the increase would not affect consumers up to 50 units. But the fact is that in the metropolis common man uses over 100 units and despite paying higher tariff, he suffers frequent and long spells of power breakdowns and load-shedding.

They said the recent increase is not only a criminal joke with the Karachiites, but it also reflects the anti-Karachi thinking of the NEPRA.