TAXILA: People from different parts of Attock staged a protest on Monday against the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) for issuing inflated electricity bills.

The protesters blocked Attock-Kamra Road, Mirza Road and Awan Sharif Road and also burnt electricity bills. They said the government must abolish all “cruel” taxes included in the electricity bill.

The protesters, while carrying and showing their bills, chanted slogans against the PML-N government for damaging their businesses through unfair taxes.

“We reject the imposition of this huge and forced sales tax imposed on us through electricity bills,” said Mohammad Ramzan.

“Please stop assassinating us economically; stop such tactics of receiving unjustified tax from us,” another protester Rasheeda Bibi said, adding that the government had made the lives of people miserable.

Last year in August, the power bill was around Rs10,000 and now it is more than Rs22,000. There will be nothing left for the family if people are made to pay an excessive amount of power bills, she added.

Consumers of Hazro staged protest demonstrations outside the offices of Iesco for several hours. Later, they dispersed peacefully after assurance from Iesco authorities that their issues would be resolved.

Members of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) local chapter also staged a protest demonstration in Taxila chowk. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the rising electricity charges.

On this occasion, slogans were raised against the federal and provincial governments which, they said, have badly failed to give relief to poor people of the province.

Addressing protesters, local JI leader Attiqur Rehman urged the government to immediately withdraw taxes and fuel price adjustments from electricity bills. He said the incumbent government was dancing to the tunes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and over-burdening people with taxes.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2022