• Burning of tyres, wood stuff exterior KE workplace on Tipu Sultan Highway results in hours-long site visitors jams
• Utility condemns ‘assault on its workplace’, says Rs4.9bn dues excellent in opposition to defaulters in PIB, Traces Space, Previous Subzi Mandi
KARACHI: Employees of the Muttahida Qaumi Motion-Pakistan and residents of Martin Quarters, Clayton Quarters, PIB Colony, and many others, staged an indication exterior an workplace of the Okay-Electrical on Tipu Sultan Highway, lit bonfires and blocked the primary street for vehicular site visitors in protest over prolonged loadshedding and inflated energy payments.
Because of the protest, organised by the MQM-P, site visitors remained suspended on the important thing street for at the least two hours, inflicting a site visitors mess on adjoining arteries.
The KE staffs have been additionally pressured to lock all entrance and exit factors from inside because the indignant protesters tried to barge into the workplace.
With out naming the MQM-P, the KE issued a press release within the night and known as the protest a “legal assault” and vowed to “pursue authorized motion in opposition to these accountable”.
It began when dozens of protesters, together with ladies and youngsters led by MQM-P lawmakers converged exterior the KE workplace on Tipu Sultan Highway to lodge a protest in opposition to the “legal perspective” of the ability utility amid harsh climate situations.
The presence of the protesters led to the suspension of vehicular site visitors on the street. Nonetheless, the scenario turned tense when wood stuffs have been set on fireplace on the primary street.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans in opposition to the KE administration, the demonstrators have been primarily protesting in opposition to the ability disaster in Clayton Highway, Jamshed Highway, PIB Colony, Martin Quarters and all of the neighbouring localities.
After a while, ladies protesters, backed by a couple of males, gathered in entrance of the primary gate of the KE workplace, looking for entry into the ability. When the KE administration shut all gates, the protesters began knocking on the doorways with full drive.
Later, MQM-P legislators together with Farah Sohail, Danial Ahmed and Amir Siddiqi addressed the protesters.
They demanded the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz authorities to cancel the licence of KE as the ability utility had “miserably failed” to serve the individuals of the metropolis.
They stated that the KE was defying all protocols set by the Nationwide Electrical Energy Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and the MQM-P itself was going to problem the renewal of the corporate’s licence earlier than the Supreme Courtroom.
They alleged that the KE was finishing up as much as 18 hours of loadshedding in Karachi within the scorching and humid climate and several other exempted areas have been additionally subjected to shutdowns.
They stated that the KE couldn’t obtain self-reliance in electrical energy manufacturing, nor might it deliver loadshedding to an finish, regardless of the passage of 18 years to its privatisation.
The KE, the MQM-P leaders stated, was subjecting tens of 1000’s of its customers to psychological torture and forcing them to face monetary losses.
Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully.
Rs4.9bn KE dues
The KE claimed in a press release that its Tipu Sultan workplace was “attacked” and the protesters broken its property.
“The Okay-Electrical strongly condemns the assault on its workplace and can pursue authorized motion in opposition to these accountable for the legal assault and property harm. The utility has known as on native elected representatives to assist restore peace within the space,” it stated.
It claimed that the excellent dues from defaulters in PIB Colony, Traces Space, Kernal Basti, and Previous Sabzi Mandi had surged past Rs4.9 billion and regardless of that, loadshedding was being carried out as per the schedule accessible on the KE web site.
“The period of loadshedding is straight linked with the ratio of electrical energy theft and non-payment of payments in a given space. Areas the place theft and non-payment are lowered can profit from improved energy provide. Shutdowns because of upkeep or native faults shouldn’t be equated with loadshedding,” added the assertion.
Printed in Daybreak, Could twenty first, 2024