IPPs Agreements Have Become a Burden on People Through Heavy Electricity Bills: JI Lahore Ameer
LAHORE: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore, Ziauddin Ansari Advocate, addressing the participants of a protest sit-in in front of the Minister House on Mall Road, said that the voice of Jamaat-e-Islami’s sit-ins was reaching the corridors of power in Islamabad.
He said Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman had raised awareness among the nation about heavy electricity bills and the issue of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) two years ago. He alleged that successive governments had entered into unjust agreements with IPPs since 1996, including governments led by the PML-N, Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Ziauddin Ansari said billions of rupees were being paid to IPPs from the national exchequer in the name of capacity payments, while additional taxes were being imposed on electricity bills to meet these costs, placing an undue burden on consumers.
He said that before Jamaat-e-Islami’s 14-day sit-in, the majority of the public was unaware of the IPP issue. He claimed that public resistance resulted in five IPPs withdrawing from capacity payments, while the government had also acknowledged that the move had benefited the national exchequer by billions of rupees. He further claimed that 77 IPPs were still receiving capacity payments.
Referring to the 2024 general elections, Ziauddin Ansari said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had announced free electricity of 300 units, while Maryam Nawaz had announced free electricity of 200 units.
Speaking about local government elections, the JI Lahore Ameer said that the ruling political forces had remained in power in Punjab for decades but were unwilling to hold local government elections. He said local government elections were held in 2015, but elected representatives were not administered the oath until 2017.
He said the PTI government later suspended the local government election process, following which Jamaat-e-Islami approached the High Court. He claimed that after the court ruled in favour of Jamaat-e-Islami, a new local government law was introduced.
Ziauddin Ansari said the rulers were still unwilling to hold local government elections. “If local government elections are held, Jamaat-e-Islami will participate in them with full force,” he concluded.
