The residents of Kahuta protested outside the office of state-owned Islamabad Electric Supply Company over what they said was an ‘exorbitant increase’ in electricity bills.
Protesters even attempted to enter the subdivision office and broke the main gate of the office.
They had earlier blocked the Rawalpindi-Kahuta Road, causing a major gridlock that resulted in long queues on either side of the road.
They also raised slogans against the tariff hike.
The protestors said they were from low-income groups and were unable to pay the bills that had witnessed an exorbitant increase. They also complained of prolonged outages despite the increase in bills.
Read Power tariff hike of Rs2.07 per unit sought
A contingent of police was dispatched to the scene of the protest after which negotiations were held and the protesters dispersed peacefully.
They urged the federal government to withdraw the increase in electricity tariffs and provide relief to the citizens. If the increase in electricity bills is not withdrawn, protests will be held again, they warned.
Last month, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) approved a country-wide increase in basic electricity tariff by Rs7.50 per unit applicable from July 1.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2023.
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