KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) will be holding separate demonstrations to protest against load-shedding in Karachi whereas Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Lahore chapter has also announced to show its disdain for the increasing power cuts across Punjab on Friday.
JI will be holding their protest in front of the Karachi Press Club and has also invited other political parties to join their protest.
JI had earlier announced a sit-in in front of the Chief Minister (CM) House but the venue was changed after a meeting between Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah and party leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman.
Meanwhile, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) will also protest against power outages at the headquarters of K-Electric.
Holding a press conference, PSP leader Anees Qaimkhani also invited Sindh CM to join them in the rally.
The PPP protest in Lahore was held outside the Press Club at 4 pm.
Similarly, speaking about the unannounced and prolonged power outages in Karachi, Mayor Waseem Akhtar urged the federal government to take steps for eradication of the increasing outages. “Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, President Mamnoon Hussain and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif should resolve the electricity crisis as people are suffering,” the mayor stated.
Commenting on his authority, the mayor said that he has no mayoral powers.
“Authority should be given till the lowest level of governance but this is not happening. I am a mayor but I have no mayoral powers,” Akhtar lamented while addressing the media in Lahore after visiting Allama Iqbal’s tomb.
The mayor said, “My party (MQM) is the second biggest party of Karachi and the fourth biggest of the country, however, it is being affected owing to personal differences.”
Stating that it is now time to take action rather than dwell on plans, Akhtar said, “Solid waste management in Karachi is not satisfactory.”
Earlier, Sindh CM had also indicated to hold a sit-in in Islamabad against federation for not resolving the energy crisis.
He said that he will be writing a third letter to federation over load shedding issue.
The residents of Karachi have been facing prolonged power outages over the past two weeks.
K-Electric, the power distribution company in Karachi, claimed that 500MW power shortfall is being experienced due to inadequate gas supply.
Sui Southern Gas Company – on the other hand – said that the supply to the power distribution company has not been increased or decreased.
Korangi, Landhi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, North Karachi, New Karachi, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad, SITE area, Garden, Lyari, Baldia and Orangi Town are the areas affected the most by load-shedding.