Monem Zafar slams K-Electric over up to 15 hours of load-shedding

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Chief Monem Zafar Khan on Tuesday said that 99% of electricity consumers in Karachi regularly pay their bills and K-Electric is responsible for dealing with the remaining 1% of defaulters.

Addressing participants of a sit-in outside the Sindh Governor House, Munem Zafar said the majority of consumers should not be made to bear the burden of electricity theft or non-payment by a small percentage of consumers.

“If one per cent of people are not paying their electricity bills, the responsibility does not lie with the 99 per cent who are paying. Dealing with that one per cent is K-Electric’s responsibility,” he said.

He accused K-Electric of exploiting consumers and said efforts were continuing to provide undue benefits to the power utility.

“K-Electric has been a failed institution since 2005,” he claimed, adding that ageing power plants had not been replaced despite operating for years.

He said Karachi residents were being subjected to up to 15 hours of load-shedding, causing severe hardship for citizens.

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“The Jamaat-e-Islami has always raised its voice against K-Electric’s oppression. K-Electric should mend its ways, otherwise it may reach a point where people themselves will turn towards its headquarters,” Munem Zafar warned.

He said Karachi residents were being deprived of basic necessities, including water, gas and electricity.

“The city is not getting water, gas or electricity. The right to live is being taken away from the people,” he said.

The JI leader also criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying the provincial government had failed to deliver for Karachi.

“The PPP has given this city nothing but destruction,” he alleged.

Munem Zafar demanded that the government withdraw the petroleum levy and terminate agreements with independent power producers (IPPs).