KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Engr. Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has warned the authorities that any increase in electricity tariff for next 10 years would not be tolerated at any cost.
Talking to the media after attending the Nepra meeting on Tuesday, the JI leader said that the K-Electric administration has been violating the agreement under which it was privatized in a worst manner. He added that the entity was bound under the agreement to produce 1100 mega watt electricity but instead only 360 were included in the system. The KE received Rs 400 billion from the center but did not pass on the benefits to masses.
The JI leader demanded to unearth the shady agreements made in 2009. He further said that the “mafia” had purchased the then KESC and now KE in Rs 16 billion and are now going to sale it our against Rs 150 billion.
He reiterated his demand to investigate into the matters of KE. He added that the KE administration has been extorting Karachiites in various pretexts. He said that the company had been illegally charging bank fees from its customers. He said that the problems of bogus and average billing have become on its height. Daily two to three thousand individuals submit their complains in this regard.
Engr. Naeem said that despite rapidly increasing consumer net, the KE has downsized its employees from 17000 to 10000 but illegally has been charing Rs 0.15 per unit in the name of increased fleet of employees.
He said that the people of Karachi have become sick of bogus billing, average billing and other nefarious tactics of the KE to mint money without paying a little heed to what is legal and what is not.
The JI leader also charged Nepra for siding the KE. He alleged that all decisions in the favor of KE were implemented with immediate effect, while the decisions in the favour of Karachiites are yet to be implemented.
On the occasion, he announced that people would be holding sit-ins against Nepra, if the regulator remained fail to reveal the agreements with the KE as well as the progress report of the KE. Earlier, Engr. Naeem, on behalf of the people of Karachi, participated in the Nepra meeting. He strongly opposed any increase in the tariff of KE. He also demanded transparency and accountability in connection with affairs of the KE.
The JI Karachi Secretary General Abdul Wahab, JI’s committee on KE affairs head Imran Shahid and Secretary Information Zahid Askari were also accompanying Engr. Naeem.
