Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi Division organized a protest outside the K-Electric head office at Gizri Karachi against unannounced load shedding and high electricity bills. A large number of PTI leaders, workers, and citizens participated in the protest.
Prominent participants, including PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, Karachi Division President Raja Azhar and others, participated in the protest. The protesters chanted slogans against K-Electric’s excesses and demanded that Karachi be declared a load-shedding-free zone. PTI leaders submitted a charter of demands at the K-Electric head office.
Addressing the protesters, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh said that Karachi was experiencing severe load shedding of 18 to 20 hours daily. The intense heat and power outages had made the life unbearable for citizens, with over 800 deaths reported in the past week. Sheikh pointed out that electricity tariffs had been raised three times in one month, making it impossible for people to pay. He criticized the Sindh government for sending police to stop the protest, and accused the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of siding with K-Electric instead of the people.
Sheikh demanded accountability for the 800 deaths reported in the last eight days, asking Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon to explain where those bodies came from.? He stated that social leader Faisal Edhi, who reported the deaths, had no political agenda. Sheikh also criticized the Sindh government for neglecting Karachi over the past 16 years, turning it into a concrete jungle without planting trees or improving water supply, leading to increased heat.
Sheikh further stated that while Karachi supported the entire country financially, the city’s residents receive nothing but corpses in return. He labeled K-Electric as “killer electric” and vowed to challenge their excesses in court and investigate the 800 deaths. He also called on Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to clarify his promise of providing 300 free electricity units, questioning who actually receives them.
PTI Karachi Division President Raja Azhar also addressed the protest, challenging K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi to disclose his electricity bill. Azhar highlighted the discrepancy in electricity bills between Sindh and other provinces, with Karachi facing exorbitant rates despite generating power for the entire country. He demanded an end to load shedding and warned of intensified protests if K-Electric fails to comply.
PTI Sindh’s Additional General Secretary, Rizwan Nazir, said that 2,500 to 3,000 megawatts of electricity were needed in Karachi, which could be generated from waste. He stated that the cost of producing electricity from waste could be as low as Rs 3 per unit.
The protest concluded with a march from Gizri to Korangi led by Haleem Adil Sheikh, demanding the immediate release of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, and the dismissal of false cases against them.
