AJK shuts against bloated power bills

Thousands stage rallies, sit-ins across region

MUZAFFARABAD:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday observed a complete shutter-down strike with thousands of people participating in protest rallies and sit-ins across the region against exorbitantly high electricity bills as well spiralling inflation.

Markets were shut in major cities and towns of AJK, while all kinds of vehicles remained off the roads across the region, especially in Kotli, Mirpur and Poonch districts.

During the rallies and sit-ins, the residents raised slogans against the government and Power Division.

They said the protests would continue until their demands were met,

The strike call was given by the Awami Action Committee in seven districts of AJK.

All organisations, including the traders’ associations, transporters, and lawyers observed the strike and participated in the protests.

The strike and rallies drew the attention of several social media users.

One of them took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a video clip of protest rally in Khuiratta, Kotli district.

“People are protesting against additional taxes in public procurement and electricity bills,” the user wrote.

Read also: ‘Countywide strike shows peoples’ verdict against govt’

“Complete wheel-jam strike in Azad Kashmir today. People are protesting in the street for their rights.”

Another user shared a video of Bagh district in which the residents could be seen marching on a street raising anti-government slogans.

“Today, a historic protest [is being staged] against the restoration of subsidy on electricity, flour and other taxes in Bagh, Hyderi Chowk,” the user wrote.

One user shared a video of a protest in Poonch against “rising price of flour and electricity”.

On September 2, thousands of traders observed a shutter-down strike in many places in the country unable to cope with soaring inflation, exorbitant electricity bills and the recent hike in the prices of petroleum products being the cherry on the top.

The strike call came from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and different traders associations and was supported by lawyers, with the legal community boycotting courtrooms.

Commercial hubs and business centres remained closed in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and other cities across the country, where abandoned bazaars were posted with placards decrying "the unreasonable increase in electricity bills and taxes".

The strike was a continuation of the unrest being observed in the country in recent days with people burning their electricity bills in protest.

In July, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) notified that the revised national average tariff for the fiscal year 2023-24 had been determined at Rs29.78 per unit kWh. This was Rs4.96 per unit higher than the previously determined national average tariff of Rs24.82. Later in August, the previous government notified an increase of Rs3.50 per unit in the national base electricity tariff.