Mounting pressure: PTI chief denounces government over power tariff hike

Says the decision was dictated by the IMF

ISLAMABAD:

Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Tuesday criticised the government for increasing power tariffs, alleging that the decision was dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“The government has increased electricity tariffs following instructions from the IMF,” he told supporters at the sit-in at Islamabad’s Constitution Avenue.

The PTI chief accused the government of cheating consumers of an estimated Rs70 billion through overbilling.



He said that it was his party’s democratic right to question the government about its policies and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif about his assets.

The PTI chairman also demanded that the killers’ of slain PTI leader Zehra Rehman be brought to justice. “The killers will be punished irrespective of their party affiliations,” he said.

While talking about the local government elections, Imran said “I’m very happy to learn about the directions by the Supreme Court on holding polls next month.”

Taking a swipe at the government he said: “The rulers do not want to share power, therefore, they are running away from holding the local government elections in Pakistan.”

The PTI chairman claimed that the local government system in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where his party holds a clear majority, would be different from other provinces.

The PTI chairman said that holding of local government elections was a must for promotion of democracy in the country.

About his party’s upcoming rally in Sargodha, Imran said, “I will be taking care of arrangements in order to avert any untoward incident.”

Referring to excerpts from a speech by Lord Macaulay, he blamed the colonial rulers for introducing a segregated system of education for the rich and poor.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2014.