Widespread protests in the country prompted on Saturday interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to summon a emergency meeting on Sunday (today). Many people have taken to the streets in different parts of the country against the inflated electricity bills.

“I have called an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s House tomorrow [Sunday] on the issue of heavy electricity bills,” he wrote on X.

The development comes a day after widespread protests in the country against inflated bills. The hashtag “Electricity bills” was among the top trends on social media on Saturday, with many influencers calling for not paying bills and announcing protests.

In the meeting, Kakar said that a briefing would be taken from the power ministry and distribution companies. Moreover, there would be consultations regarding giving maximum relief to consumers regarding electricity bills.

Jamaat e Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan called for declaring electricity theft a crime equivalent to terrorism while urging for public punishment for electricity thieves.

“Mr. Caretaker Prime Minister, the people have now gone mad. The electricity bills/Wapda has united the oppressed from Karachi to Chitral against the elites,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Senator Mushtaq demanded the abolishment of all taxes in the electricity bills and ending the provision of free electricity to judges, generals, bureaucrats, Wapda employees and parliamentarians.

“Terminate fraudulent contracts with IPPs and arrest their owners by registering FIRs against them. Ban the production of electricity from furnace oil and imported coal in the country,” he added.

Footage on TV and social media showed people burning electricity bills during protests. There were reports that employees of an electricity company were beaten by people after they tried to remove a metre of consumers.

Rawalpindi

Many people including traders and the business community protested in Rawalpindi. They were chanting slogans against the government.

Punjab

Similar protests were reported in Jahanian, Jhelum, and Lahore.

Social activist Ammar Ali Jan wrote on social media that his party would be starting a campaign against electricity bills in Lahore from August 27.

“We need coordinated action across the country to demand relief for the salaried class and ending privileges worth $17.4 billion annually for the elites. If people fight back, they will win,” he wrote on X.

Karachi

There were reports on Thursday that traders allegedly attacked K-Electric employees at a market in Karachi. KE CEO Moonis Alvi later confirmed the same on X and demanded that a first information report be registered against the attackers.

“We call for an FIR to be registered against the individuals responsible for these abhorrent acts and demand their immediate resignation from the Timber Market Association,” he wrote.