A K-Electric team that arrived to cut off electricity over non-payment of bills was taken hostage in Karachi’s timber market on Thursday.

Timber Market Association’s Sharjeel Goplani confirmed the incident saying that the team had arrived to remove the electrictiy metres in the market.

He added that there was no possibility of the inflated bills being paid by the traders and the K-Electric has already been informed of the decision in writing.

Goplani said that the officials had not been taken into custody but were actually saved from the people in the area. He added that if the people had gottten hold of the officials, there was no telling what would happen.

Traders in the market said that electricity supply has not been regular while bills have grown to absurd amounts. They added that all aspects of life including their businesses have been affected.

The officials were eventually handed over to the police, who said that investigation is being conducted as to why they arrived to remove the meter without prior notice.