KARACHI: Stationary protests on Monday held at the city’s markets against the fuel oil and electricity prices hike, as Jamat-e-Islami has called for a countrywide strike on September 2, 2023.

The JI’s call received a big response from traders, public and other segments from the society, who took part in over 100 protests at markets. The civil society also resented the hike in fuel oil and power rates to “unbearable” levels.

“The ruling elite has unleashed a mafia named the K-Electric to fleece the citizens of Karachi,” JI Karachi Chief, Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said in his address to the protesting traders at the Cooperative Market in Saddar. The KE itself is a “defaulter” of Rs 662 billion to the national grid alone, he said that it is also a “defaulter” on huge payments to several other organizations.

The continuing large scale protests across the metropolis are a reflection of the ruling elites’ policies and its future as well. “The caretaker government will have to reduce the electricity tariff, waive the taxes and water down the inflation,” he said and demanded for revoking of the KE license and forensically auditing its financial accounts.

He also made it clear to the KE that its threats to the citizens will have implications on its existence if it continued to cut off power supplies to the consumers. He warned the KE about any untoward incident emerged from its behavior with the consumers will be seen as its fault if it brings the public and law enforcers to a clash.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023