Thousands of commuters and motorists faced significant traffic jams on major thoroughfares in Karachi as residents from Punjab Colony and the Gizri area protested ongoing power outages. The protesters blocked both lanes of the main roads leading to Boat Basin and Sunset Boulevard, according to Pakistan-based Dawn.
Details of the Protests
DIG-South Syed Asad Raza informed Dawn that the main road near Punjab Colony was blocked by residents on Tuesday morning. Discussions were held with the protesters, and representatives from Karachi Electricity were invited to seek a resolution to the issue. Police have not taken any action as the protesters did not resort to violence.
South-SSP Sajid Amir Sadozai reported that the road was blocked for several hours on Tuesday. Additionally, some residents blocked the road near the underpass at Gizri, leading towards Sunset Boulevard, on Monday night multiple times. Similar protests also occurred on Mauripur Road and at the Shaheen Complex roundabout on Monday night.
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Ongoing Demonstrations and Financial Issues
In the past 24 hours, similar demonstrations have occurred in areas adjacent to Railway Colony, where the outstanding amount exceeds Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 150 million.
Response from Karachi-Electric (KE)
A Karachi-Electric (KE) spokesperson stated that the “aggressive anti-theft crackdown” across the city has faced resistance from the “kunda mafia.” This group has been blocking roads and disrupting traffic to protect their illegal connections and avoid settling outstanding dues. The spokesperson added that recent incidents in Gizri, Punjab Colony, and nearby areas are aimed at undermining KE’s efforts to dismantle illegal connections from load-shedding-free feeders. During a targeted operation in Punjab Colony, KE teams faced violent retaliation from armed assailants who attempted to prevent the removal of illegal connections and harassed staff at gunpoint.
Impact on Electricity Bills
Earlier in August, K-Electric announced that electricity consumers in Karachi would face inflated bills for August. The bills will include adjustments for three months, resulting in charges of up to PKR 3.22 per unit. The added charges for this year’s adjustment include PKR 0.93 per unit from January to March. K-Electric is also seeking further adjustments for May by PKR 2.53 per unit and PKR 2.92 for June. Additional charges from last year will be PKR 0.66 for August 2023, PKR 1.77 per unit for November 2023, and PKR 0.79 per unit for December 2023.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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