JI protest continues: Hafiz Naeem says mafia supporting K-Electric

Jamaat-e-Islami’s sit-in against inflation and electricity bills continues for the 10^th consecutive day in Liaqat Bagh Rawalpindi and outside Governor House in Karachi, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing the participants of sit-in in Karachi on Sunday night, JI chief Hafiz Naeem said that JI workers can sit here for more than 100 days but we want to make it clear to the rulers that JI workers will not remain sit here. He said that JI workers will soon announce their future plan.

He thanked Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori for offering tea to the protestors. JI chief said that all mafias were supporting K-Electrics which was not serving the masses properly. Hafiz Naeem said that during the last 19 years, K-Electric’s production has dropped 15 percent. He said it was disappointing that instead of improving its production, K-Electric was going down.

Earlier, JI chief Hafiz Naeem reached Karachi on Sunday to join protestors outside the Governor House in Karachi. JI chief addressed Rawalpindi protestors through a videolink.

Earlier, JI workers have rung the bell of hope at the Governor's House Karachi for the acceptance of their demands, ie relief of the people in power bill and inflation. JI workers also urged the Sindh Governor to attend the sit-in.

Talking to the media, JI Secretary Information Qaiser Sharif has said that the audit report of the accounts of the power division and affiliates was an eye-opener for the nation.

Qaiser Sharif has demanded that the government should fix the price of electricity and reject capacity payments. He said that the payments made to IPPs from 2013 to 2023 show that the payments have been made more in terms of capacity payment than the cost of electricity. Qaiser admitted that the power generation transmission and distribution system was inadequate in the country. He said due to the high cost of power, consumers can not use electricity and the burden of capacity payment has to be borne by the government.

He said the transmission system of the country can only handle a load of 23,000 megawatts, while the production capacity has increased to 36,000 megawatts.

Qaiser Sharif said the power generation plants were more dependent on imported fuel oil while dependence was on outdated technology to generate electricity from imported coal. He said in the 1994 power policy, concessions were given to furnace oil and gas-fired power plants. Qaiser demanded that the concessions should be given to plans generated from water.

He said imported RLNG and imported coal-fired power plants are providing expensive electricity to the country. Qaiser demanded that Disco companies should adopt proper procedures for revenue collection, for which Nepra can give them reward and penalty targets which will reduce their losses and not lead to further increase in circular debt.

Reporter: Hashir Ahsen