Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has hinted at an impending announcement of relief measures aimed at alleviating the burden on electricity consumers.
Addressing a gathering of esteemed senior journalists in the capital city of Islamabad, the premier shed light on the primary factors contributing to the high costs of electricity. He attributed these escalating expenses to agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) as well as losses in transmission and distribution (T&T).
Though not explicitly mentioning the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the prime minister revealed ongoing negotiations with pertinent multilateral financial institutions. These discussions center around the possibility of extending relief to electricity consumers, all while upholding the nation’s international commitments. Anticipating a favorable outcome, the premier affirmed the government’s intention to unveil these relief measures in the near future.
Recent events have underscored the urgency of this matter, as protests erupted nationwide in response to inflated electricity bills just last week. Fueled by public discontent, these demonstrations prompted the premier to convene an emergency meeting. The agenda: to explore viable relief avenues. However, no immediate solutions were declared during the meeting.
In today’s discourse, the premier adopted a measured tone, downplaying the gravity of the protests. He emphasized that the current scenario is not indicative of a law and order crisis but rather a situation that certain political factions have exploited to their advantage.
As the nation awaits the impending relief announcement, all eyes remain fixed on the measures that the caretaker government under Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar intends to implement, striking a delicate balance between appeasing consumers and honoring international obligations.
