A shutter down strike was observed in most parts of Hyderabad on Monday in protest against the hike in electricity prices. All the major markets in City and Latifabad taluka remained closed.
The call was given by Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) and it received backing from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Sunni Tehreek and other parties besides local groups of the traders. Addressing the rally at the Kohinoor Chowk the HCCI's President Adeel Siddiqui said, the manufacturing cost has gone up exorbitantly due to the power outages, rising fuel and electricity prices and depreciating currency.
Siddiqui said that the peak hour policy and the recent hike have together enhanced the electricity bills of the industrial consumers by 40 to 50 per cent.
He added that the export-oriented industries are finding it hard to keep pace with their foreign competitors because of the increasing cost of production.
On behalf of the traders and industrialists Siddiqui appealed to the Caretaker Prime Minister Awarul Haq Kakar to withdraw the hike and unjustified taxes. He also requested the PM to provide the required supply of electricity to Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, which required 900 megawatt but it is receiving 700 MW, so that the outages can be reduced.
"The government should introduce a serious mechanism to stop theft of electricity which is costing around Rs600 billion," he demanded, saying that the bill paying consumers are made to suffer the consequences of the theft in which the officers and staff are also involved.
The HCCI's office bearers also expressed gratitude to the PPP, MQM-P, ST, Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, JUI-S and other political, religious and traders' groups for supporting the strike.
Union defends free electricity to employees
The All Pakistan WAPDA, Hydro and Electric Union's President Abdul Latif Nizamani defended the facility of providing free electricity units to the employees of the power generation, dispatch and distribution companies.
Chairing a meeting of the union in Hyderabad on Monday, Nizmani blamed the government and National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for the current rise in the electricity price.
He said the union has always supported the stance of the consumers against any increase in the tariff.
The meeting opposed the handing over of HESCO and Sukkur Electric Power Company to the Sindh government.
Nawabshah traders, lawyers on war path against power tariff hike
Traders and lawyers of Shaheed Benazir Abad (Nawabshah) have announced a shutter-down strike against the continuous increase in electricity prices and heavy taxation imposed on power bills. According to representative bodies of traders and lawyers, both small and large commercial centres will remain closed. Lawyers will not appear in courts, and complete boycott of court proceedings will be observed.
The peril of shocking increase in electricity bills has united various unions of traders. Nawabshah Tajir Ittehad Chairman Abdul Qayyum Qureshi, Shehri Tajir Ittehad Chairman Abdul Sattar Qureshi, and Shaheed Benazir Abad Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce President Haji Muhammad Azim Mughal held a joint meeting and decided that a complete shutdown strike will take place in the city on Tuesday. Small and large commercial centres in the city will remain closed, and the traders of the city will hold a protest demonstration at Gol Chakrah against Wapda, the power distribution company, and burn their electricity bills as a sign of protest.
On the other hand, Advocate Ali Raza Chana, the secretary of Nawabshah Bar Association, announced that the government has taken away the right to live from the poor people. They must either feed their children or pay electricity bills. He declared that on Tuesday morning, a complete boycott of court proceedings will be observed by the Nawabshah Bar Association, and lawyers will not appear in courts.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2023.
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