TAXILA: Protests against Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) for issuing inflated electricity bills continued in Attock and Taxila for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

Electricity consumers took to the streets in Hazro, Jand, Pindigheb and Fatehjang towns of Attock and Taxila city against the fuel price adjustment (FPA) and other taxes included in the bills.

The agitated consumers blocked G.T. Road near Gondal Mandi in Attock and Rawalpindi-Peshawar G.T. Road for several hours. As a result, commuters, ambulances, students and motorists remained stranded for hours in traffic.

The protesters said the extraordinary increase in electricity bills in the months of July and August has financially broken their backbone, leaving them in the lurch to manage their monthly budgets.

Saleem Ahmed, a labourer by profession, said: “I have received an electricity bill of Rs20,000 even though I have only one fan and 2 LED bulbs.”

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Malik Amin Aslam Khan also joined the protest on G.T. Road.

“This government is killing the poor people by imposing heavy taxes that we will not bear at all,” he said while addressing the protesters.

He demanded that the government immediately waive the Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) and reduce other taxes.

Meanwhile, scores of motorists and commuters had to spend several hours in vehicles in the humid weather.

Citizens led by local PTI leadership blocked Attock-Kohat Road near Pindigheb and staged a demonstration against Iesco over high electricity bills.

The demonstrators warned the government to either withdraw the FPA and other taxes or be ready to face more protests.

A protester, Syed Taqi Haider, while waving an inflated electricity bill, said the government had made the lives of the poor miserable.

In Taxila, on the call of the Awami Ittehad, the traders and citizens brought out a big rally against Iesco.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2022