KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on Tuesday asked K-Electric to stop unannounced loadshedding in the city and resolve the issue of overbilling or its lawmakers would stage a protest demonstration outside Parliament House in Islamabad.

All major political parties have been protesting against the KE with the Jamaat-i-Islami demanding re-nationalisation of the entity, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pak Sarzameen Party seeking an end to KE’s monopoly in the city and even the ruling PPP ministers openly criticising the utility for loadshedding and breakdowns.

At a time when almost every party is taking a firm stand and even calling upon the apex court to take notice of the “highhandedness” of the KE, the future course of action narrated in the press conference of the MQM-P against the KE was relatively soft.

Condemns Rs2.85 per unit increase in electricity tariff

“People are already suffering from the coronavirus in the prevailing hot and humid weather and the situation is deteriorating further because the KE is depriving them of electricity for several hours on different pretexts,” senior MQM-P leader Amir Khan told a press conference held at the party’s temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad.

He said that those areas from where the bill recovery was 100 per cent were also facing hours-long loadshedding on a daily basis while the situation was worst in other areas, including Liaquatabad, New Karachi, North Karachi, Landhi, Korangi and Orangi Town.

He said the MQM-P leadership had several times held meetings with the KE management and also communicated its concerns to Federal Energy Minister Omar Ayub but to no avail.

Mr Khan said that previously KE got 650 megawatts from the national grid but because of the MQM’s effort, now the utility was getting around 800MW.

He said the gas quota of the KE was 140mmcfd and it was the MQM which managed to get it increased to 276mmcfd. “But, the KE has not provided any relief to the people and they are still facing loadshedding for hours,” he said.

He said that it was the incompetence of the KE that it failed to improve its generation as well as transmission and distribution capacity despite getting all resources.

Tariff increase criticised

The MQM-P leader condemned the recent increase of Rs2.85 per unit in electricity tariff and said it was tantamount to injustice with the people.

He said that the people of Karachi had been getting inflated electricity bills and it was the duty of the KE to resolve this issue.

Mr Khan said that from now on if the KE failed to provide relief to the people, the MQM would have no option but to adopt the course of protest.

He said that MNAs, MPAs, and senators of the party would stage a protest demonstration in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad if the situation was not improved.

Answering a question, senior leader Kanwar Naveed Jameel said the MQM was part of a meeting held in Governor House to resolve the issue of loadshedding in the city. He said the MQM had immediately given names of its representatives to be part of a committee, but it appeared that that committee and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail were also “helpless” in front of KE.

Other senior leaders, including Mr Jameel, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Federal IT and Telecom Minister Aminul Haque, Faisal Subzwari and Khwaja Izharul Hasan, were also present.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2020