In Rawalkot, angry citizens have been protesting against high electricity bills. They have even burned around 30,000 bills in protest.
Pakistan’s ongoing challenges have taken yet another distressing turn, as the public is now on the streets to express their anger about the rise of electricity bills. The sentiment echoes across the nation. Hapless public is accusing the government of misusing funds borrowed from entities like the IMF and other countries for personal gains, while pushing the citizens to the brink of starvation.
An incident has been reported where a citizen of Pakistan received an electricity bill of Rs 30,000, of which Rs 11,000 was attributed to taxes. This scenario has prompted questions about why the public is burdened with covering the government’s expenses.
Earlier, residents of 10 areas of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir held protests and sit-ins against the rising prices of flour and electricity.
Last month, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), Pakistan’s power regulator, sanctioned a Rs 4.96 per unit increase in the national average power tariff for the current fiscal year. This decision was in line with a condition stipulated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Now, the protests are the consequence of this move.
With the rise of inflation, political chaos and debt trapped by China, Pakistan is neck deep in instability. The rise in electricity taxes is an unfortunate but anticipated move. Pakistan’s instability is its own creation, the world as a spectator can only watch as it is slowly burning.