Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed has warned the people, who are already infuriated by inflated power bills, of a massive increase in the per unit charges of electricity bills.

“The news on today’s media is that the interim setup has said that Rs90 would be the per unit charges in the electricity bills for September,” he said in response to a query from Hamir Mir on his show Capital Talk on Monday.

“I ask the people to get ready to face the fear and get ready for September bills,” he said and agreed with the host when he asked that the bills would double the bills of August. The JI leader supported his answer with the caretaker government’s words.

Ghani was on Geo News. Mir asked him the query before comparing the rates of electricity charges with neighbouring countries.

He went on to add that the “biggest issue” was the governance of distribution companies (DISCOs), saying that they don’t have professionals. Ghani supported his argument by saying that the CEO of Peshawar Electric Supply Company was not the one mentioned in the documents as PML-N leader Amir Muqam controlled it.

He lamented that despite his protests no one was hired in the power company. “They don’t have linemen and operational staff.”

Ghani added that the second issue was of independent power producers (IPPs), saying that they have a part in 50% energy mix. He lamented that despite being rich in natural resources the country was approaching IPPs which included imported coal, RLNG, and furnace oil, and it was being paid in dollars.

“Until IPPs are present, never there will be cheap electricity in Pakistan,” he said.

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The JI was of the view that corruption was rampant in Pakistan. “You would be astonished to hear that in 15 months of PDM rule, electricity theft reached Rs500 billion. Unless these issues are resolved, there will not be cheap electricity in Pakistan.”

He was of the view that the previous government continued the IMF agreement which was started by the PTI government. “So it was their conditions that made electricity expensive.”

Many people have been protesting in Pakistan against exorbitant power bills, with reports of some people committing suicide.

The interim setup has so far delayed a decision to provide relief in electricity bills.

Sources said the government could look towards an option to pay July’s electricity bills in multiple installments.