Peshawar’s traders came to the streets on Tuesday to vent their anger about rising electricity costs, and the demonstrations have yet to die down.
Protesters converged at the Fridous stop and shut down traffic on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, a major artery running through the middle of the country.
Protesters flooded the streets, chanting anti-caretaker government and anti-inflationary rhetoric.
They still had the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in their sights.
The shop owners have ignored the electric bill.
See Government fails to provide adequate power relief in the text.
Many shopkeepers from the bustling Qissa Khwani Bazaar, as well as those from Chowk Yadgar, Khyber Bazaar, and Meena Bazaar, joined the protesters.
It is worth noting that interim prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has called at least two high-level meetings to discuss the critical issue in response to escalating protests and growing unhappiness among citizens.
The federal cabinet will be presented with several ideas to ease the suffering of power users on Tuesday (today), following a meeting conducted the day before.
According to information obtained by The Express Tribune, consumers may soon have the option of splitting their bill payments into more than two installments, providing them with more financial breathing room.
Another suggestion seeks to reduce consumers’ financial burdens by allowing them to make partial payments on their high electricity bills in the colder months, when their usage drops.
The meeting also suggested consulting the Ministry of Finance about lowering electricity bill taxes. Whether or not a tax cut would violate the agreement between the government and the IMF will be the deciding factor.
“If the reduction in taxes is not repugnant to the agreement with the IMF, then the government will definitely cut the existing taxes on the electricity bills,” the person continued.
However, according to our sources, no proposals have been made to actually lower electricity costs.
