October 15, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 15, 1429

KARACHI, Oct 14: An All Parties Conference (APC) organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami has called for immediate withdrawal of the recent increase in power tariff, end to load-shedding, and cancellation of the privatisation of KESC to rescue the economy. It has also warned that if the government fails to withdraw the power tariff hike, people will refuse to pay electricity bills just as the traders and industrialists have also refused to do so.

The demands were raised in a resolution adopted at the APC, which was attended by half a dozen political parties, held at Idara Noor-i-Haq on Tuesday.

The resolution termed the 70 per cent increase in power tariff an outcome of KESC working hand in glove with Nepra and declared it a deadly attack on the people, traders and economy.

Load-shedding had reduced the duration of production from eight to four hours a day, resulting in an increase of cost of production by 100 per cent which was unjustified, the resolution said. While oil prices in the international market had come down by 100 per cent, the Nepra’s decision to increase the power tariff by 70 per cent was a sheer oppression of people, it said. Condemning the decision of the increase, the resolution further claimed that due to the corrupt management of KESC, it was suffering a loss of Rs21 billion a year.

It said it was beyond comprehension why a loss-making concern had appointed a new CEO with a hefty monthly salary of Rs1.8 million and two directors with Rs800,000 and three operational directors with Rs300,000 salaries.

The deputy chief of the JI, Prof Ghafoor Ahmad said that every section of society was suffering from load-shedding but the callousness of the government could be gauged from the recent 70 per cent increase in the power tariff.

He said in Karachi Muttahida Qaumi Movement was in power but it had failed to take practical steps to solve people’s problems.

He said those sitting in London could have knowledge of arrival of 400,000 Afghan nationals in Karachi but they had no idea of people’s miseries due to load-shedding.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Saleem Zia said that people at the time of the KESC’s privatisation had apprehensions but Karachiites were told that it would bring an end to load-shedding.

JI leader Mohammad Hussain Mehanti said that in other cities of the country power tariff was increased by 30 per cent but in Karachi it was raised by 70 per cent.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan leader Mohammad Siddique Rathore said that had the judiciary been independent it would have certainly taken notice of the anti-people measures being taken by the rulers.

Syed Zia Abbas of National People’s Party, Aslam Ghauri of JUI, Al Haaj Mohammad Rafi of NMP, Chaudhry Zaheer of JAH, Kahtib Ahmad of traders body, Jamil Shahid of NWP and Khan Mohammad Baloch of PAT spoke.