Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif mulls reduction in power bills amid protests
Aug 03, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], August 3 : Pakistan's Prime Minister and PML-N leader, Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged people not to politicize the issue of electricity bills and said the government aimed to reduce the inflated electricity bills, Pakistan-based The News reported.
Sharif said that the government is aware of the taxes imposed on the salaried class and his administration has protected consumers using up to 200 units of electricity in industries.
The Pakistan PM said that the government has reduced the per unit cost for industries by Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 8.5. "We have provided Rs 50 billion for July, August and September," The News reported, quoting Sharif.
Sharif spoke against politics for the sake of politics, The News reported.
Quoting Shehbaz Sharif's remarks as he chaired a cabinet meeting in Islamabad, The News reported, "Politics on electricity issue is tantamount to insulting people."
The remarks came as Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday ridiculed the central government over "ill" electricity policies and claimed that citizens are committing suicide because of high electricity bills, ARY News reported.
Rehman is in Doha to attend the funeral of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. He addressed the protesters through a video link, ARY News reported.
Rehman stated his demand for reduction of electricity tariffs for salaried class as his protest entered its eighth day, ARY News reported.
"I also met Pakistani community in Doha who also expressed solidarity with the sit-in's participants," he added, ARY News reported.
Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami on Friday gave a two-day deadline to the government to hold talks after it sought more time to continue with its negotiations.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, led by Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, staged a protest with a crowd of thousands.
In a post on X, he said, "7th day of Dharna.. Charged, vibrant, enthusiastic huge crowd. Haq Do Awam Ko."
https://x.com/NaeemRehmanEngr/status/1819045292076900453
The third round of talks was scheduled to be held on Thursday. However, the government-appointed committee did not come. The Jamaat-e-Islami then warned the government that they would expand their protests countrywide if the government did not reduce the burden of taxes.
