Hundreds of Jamaat-e-Islami activists on Saturday staged a sit-in protest at the Governor House against the K-Electric over the continuing excessive electricity billings and prolonged power cuts. The Sindh government employed containers and police to hamper the protestors' movements who initially set up their camp at Fawara Chowk adjacent to the Governor House. The authorities also placed a water canon vehicle to shatter the protestors if attempted to cross into red-zone.

The JI leaders continued to keep their party's activists on toes for stepping up towards the main protest venue on loudspeakers. Traffic police were also seen stationed at the protest to deal with vehicular gridlocks if standoff happens. Latter, the mob walked in and sat down on main road of the Governor House peacefully. The charged crowd chanted anti-K Electric slogans and slammed the PPP government for supporting the private electricity provider against the public interest. They demanded for reversal of the KE privatisation and end to the power cuts and inflated tariffs.

JI's Karachi Chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman warned that his workers will continue the sit-in protest against the private electricity supplier till the set demands are met. He also warned the K-Electric of accountability, saying that the power company will be brought to justice for its over-billings, prolonged and unscheduled electricity cuts.

He also slammed the Sindh government for its extraordinary steps to bar the protestors from staging the sit-in against the K-Electric - private electricity company, saying that authorities should not be worried about the demonstrations at the red-zone. He criticised the K-Electric for making the public suffer from loadshedding and excessive charges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017