Lahore- Jamat-e-Islami Pakistan launched a three-day protest against electricity and petroleum products price hikes, coupled with soaring inflation, in front of Punjab governor house in Lahore on Thursday.
The hundreds of participants joined the call on the first day, with plans to escalate the protests to a nationwide sit-in in Islamabad, whose date would be announced by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Emir SirajulHaq on Friday.
The protesters raised their voices against the surging gas prices, especially electricity tariffs. They vehemently criticized private power generation companies and demanded the revocation of their contracts. The protesters also called for the scrapping of deals made with Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
This sit-in, in front of Governor House, has led to road closures on one side and heavy traffic on the other. Besides it, a makeshift camp connected to the Bagh-e-Jinnah was also set up, complete with clean water facilities.
On the first day of the protest, evening prayers were offered in congregation, focusing on the safety of the nation, reduced inflation, and relief from the burden of taxes imposed by the authorities. The prayers were also said for the success of efforts to liberate the public from financial enslavement by the government.
It’s worth noting that Jamaat-e-Islami had given the government an ultimatum to reduce electricity tariffs, halt petroleum price hikes, and curb inflation three weeks ago. However, in light of the government’s refusal to comply, Jamaat-e-Islami initiated this organized protest.
While electricity tariffs and petrol prices were met with resistance in the past, the ongoing crackdown on electricity theft exacerbated the situation. The authorities disconnected thousands of connections for one to two months for non-payment, although so far, the warnings had not materialized. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-HaqKakar earlier had announced that hefty fines would be imposed on electricity thieves, but no mention was made of the collection of outstanding bills from domestic consumers.
In response to these price hikes and government measures, families were internally divided, with multiple members refraining from paying electricity bills due to the affordability issues, leading to domestic disputes.
The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) claimed to have recovered billions of rupees from consumers who were defaulting on bills for the past month. However, the recovery from various government agencies, including the railway, police, and other public offices, remains pending.
