———- Decline immediate electricity bill relief amid public pressure
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: The governments of Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) have declined to provide immediate relief on electricity bills to the public.
Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Finance Advisor Muzzammil Aslam stated that their respective provincial administrations would not be able to offer instant relief on electricity charges.
In an interview with a private TV channel, Wahab, who also serves as the Mayor of Karachi, revealed that offering two months of relief to the people of Sindh would cost Rs10 billion. Similarly, a two-month relief package in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would cost Rs8 billion, while in Balochistan, it would amount to Rs1 billion. Wahab emphasised that their government does not believe in superficial measures or temporary solutions. He added that if the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) advice had been followed to utilise Sindh’s resources to establish low-cost power plants, electricity would have been cheaper today.
Muzzammil Aslam, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Finance Advisor, highlighted that both K-P and Sindh generate low-cost electricity, whereas Punjab produces more expensive power. He cautioned that even though the Punjab government had provided a two-month relief, electricity prices would rise again afterwards. Both advisors called on the federal government to implement a permanent solution rather than offering temporary relief.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz responded to criticism from MQM-Pakistan leader Mustafa Kamal regarding the province’s electricity relief efforts. CM clarified that the relief was not free but was funded with Rs45 billion from Punjab’s budget.
Mustafa Kamal had previously expressed his desire for uniform electricity prices across the country, criticising that the recent press conference should have been held by the Prime Minister for the entire nation, not just for Punjab. He argued that the decision to reduce electricity prices solely in Punjab has heightened feelings of deprivation in other regions.
In response to Nawaz’s statement, Kamal thanked her for the advice but questioned the need for unconditional support from her party if the Sindh government’s performance was satisfactory. He reiterated his request for the PM to treat all Pakistanis equally and fulfil promises made to the people of Sindh.
Kamal concluded by stating that they are still awaiting the Prime Minister’s fulfilment of his promises to ease the lives of Sindh’s citizens.
Earlier, After the PML-N-led Punjab government subsidised electricity for consumers using up to 500 units, its ally in the Centre, the MQM-P, on Saturday kicked up a fuss about the Rs45 billion subsidy, saying the Punjab-centric incentive would give rise to ‘despair’ in other parts of the country. In a press conference on Friday, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced that the provincial government would provide relief of Rs14 per unit in electricity bills up to 500 units for August and September.
