ISLAMABAD:
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, responding to rising public outcry over rising electricity prices, on Sunday ordered relevant authorities to develop specific measures within 48 hours to help ease the load.
Kakar’s call to action arrives in the midst of greater political, economic, and constitutional challenges, including widespread rallies and heated outrage about rising electricity rates amid runaway inflation.
While no concrete steps were taken as a result of Sunday’s meeting, Kakar did call for a list of those who receive free electricity from the government to be compiled. He also issued orders to electric utilities to devise plans to curb power outages caused by unauthorised use.
The Prime Minister spent over two hours in an emergency session stressing the importance of reforming the power sector and developing effective short-, medium-, and long-term policies. These steps are essential for easing the strains on the population.
Kakar criticised the hypocrisy of government leaders receiving tax-funded electricity privileges while average folks struggle to pay high electricity bills. He issued an order to all relevant government agencies, demanding an exhaustive report on who is receiving free electricity and why.Prime Minister Kakar, portraying himself as a champion of the ordinary man, advocated decreasing power costs at the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Pakistan Secretariat.
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The temporary prime minister has advocated for the cost-cutting measures even at the highest levels of government, saying things like, “even the air-conditioner in my room can be switched off if necessary.”
At an emergency meeting on Sunday, the prime minister and representatives from energy and electricity-related ministries discussed potential solutions while making sure that no action would go against IMF requirements.
Exorbitant electricity costs were the main topic of debate, along with the urgent need to address citizen complaints. The power ministry briefed the committee on the finer points of electricity transmission and rates throughout the discussion.
Kakar stated that the country could not afford any hasty decisions that could put the interests of the IMF programme at risk. He emphasised the critical nature of actions that provide relief to both the national treasury and the general public.
To find ways to help the people and prevent more unrest, the prime minister, caretaker federal ministers, advisers, and high-ranking officials from different critical departments met at Prime Minister House.
Kakar scheduled consultations with the chief ministers for Monday (today) to discuss electricity-saving strategies and the issue of inflated bills, and he adjourned the meeting for a day with directions to the officials concerned to present plans that could resolve the issue.
The goal of this group endeavour is to develop practical ways to reduce power consumption and costs, which have reached crisis proportions.
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In response to widespread public outcry over this month’s alarmingly high electricity bills, the administration has moved swiftly to address the problem. After widespread outrage and a social media trend over high electricity bills, Kakar summoned the conference on Saturday.
Large-scale rallies against high electricity costs and taxes have been organised by the public and business groups in a number of cities, drawing the attention of the government.
