Outraged by inflated power bills, protestors block GT road in K-P

Traders refuse to pay electricity bills as discontent over inflation grows

PESHAWAR:

Frustrated traders took to the streets in Peshawar on Tuesday to express their discontent over sky-high electricity bills as protests showed no signs of slowing down.

The protestors gathered at Fridous stop and proceeded to block the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, one of the central highways connecting the country.

As they poured onto the streets, the protestors shouted slogans against the caretaker government, denouncing inflation.

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) remained a special target of the angry crowd.

The traders have refused to pay the electricity bills.

Read Govt falls short of giving power relief

The protestors were joined by traders from Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Chowk Yadgar, Khyber Bazaar and Meena Bazaar among other hubs of business activity.

It is pertinent to mention here that in response to mounting protests and growing discontent among citizens, caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has convened at least two high-level meetings to address the pressing issue.

The meeting held a day earlier deliberated over various proposals intended to alleviate the distress of the power consumers, which will subsequently be presented to the federal cabinet for final approval on Tuesday (today).

Sources revealed to The Express Tribune that the plans to extend instalment relief to the consumers for the bill payments were discussed, giving them the option to pay their bills in more than just two instalments, offering greater flexibility and easing their financial burden.

Similarly, another proposal aims to provide relief to the consumers by allowing them to pay a portion of their heavy electricity bills during the winter months when energy consumption generally decreases.

Moreover, the meeting recommended seeking the Ministry of Finance's opinion on reducing the taxes imposed on electricity bills. The final decision regarding tax reduction will depend on whether it contradicts the agreement between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“If the reduction in taxes is not repugnant to the agreement with the IMF, then the government will definitely cut the existing taxes on the electricity bills,” the source added.

However, sources said there are currently no suggestions regarding a reduction in electricity bills themselves.