KARACHI: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Sunday staged a demonstration outside the head office of the K-Electric in the Gizri area in protest over prolonged loadshedding, inflated bills and poor performance of the power utility.

Terming the KE “a failed organisation”, they accused the new coalition government of deliberately ignoring all violations of set rules by the power utility due to its strong connections with the ruling elite.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans demanded immediate relief to the people of Karachi and action from the regulatory body against the power supply company, the protesters, led by PTI lawmakers Raza Azhar and Fahim Khan, gathered outside the KE head office and staged a sit-in.

Speaking at the sit-in, the PTI leaders lashed out at the federal and provincial governments and held them responsible for the miseries of Karachiites.

“The new government at the centre has proved itself nothing but a bunch of thieves allowing exploitation of poor people in such harsh weather conditions” said Mr Azhar. “We demand the KE and the authorities to improve their performance and don’t test the patience of the people of Karachi.”

Another lawmaker Khan refuted the KE administration’s claims regarding reduction in loadshedding. He said 75 per cent of the population of the metropolis was facing loadshedding.

“It was the PTI government which kept an eye on the KE and didn’t allow it to act beyond set rules,” he said, adding that the KE resorted to its past practices within a week of the “regime change” and the installation of the “imported government” in the country.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2022