PPP slams salaried people’s victimisation

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Friday protested against the alleged victimisation of the salaried persons.

Addressing a press conference here, Senator Quratulain Marri said that the people are paying tax separately on electricity bills and also on their salaries.

Senator Sehar Kamran and PPP Media Coordinator Nazir Dhoki were also present on the occasion.

“Forty-seven percent of the electricity is being generated from imported fuel and only two percent from using Thar coal which is the cheapest source of electricity in the country,” she added.

She said that 2600 megawatts of electricity is being generated from Thar coal.

She demanded that the free electricity to certain consumers must be discontinued. “The biggest loss is due to electricity theft. The IMF did not ask us to pay income tax and as well as tax on electricity bills,” she said.

Senator Marri said the people of Pakistan reject cosmetic relief. “If relief is only given to the person on whose name the meter has been issued then how will the people living in rented houses pay the bloated bill, she asked. The FBR will meet its target but the burden will fall on the public. We are producing forty-seven percent of the electricity from imported fuel and only two percent are using Thar coal which is black gold for Pakistan,” the lawmaker said.

She said the PPP had provided solar system to two lac homes in Sindh. “In 2010, the PPP created an alternative energy board but successive governments did not use it and the people of Pakistan could not get its benefits. Pakistan should generate electricity from the sources it has as the Thar coal is the cheapest source of electricity in Pakistan. When we have vast coal reserves then why is expensive coal imported in Pakistan,” she asked.

Marri said the poor people of Pakistan are not using the free units of electricity. “The caretaker prime minister says that the judges do not use free units of electricity whereas the fact is that thousands of units of electricity are provided free of cost to judges as well.” She said.

She proposed to rationalise the collection of taxes from the people and illegal taxes must not be taken from the people.

“The people cannot pay tax twice on one salary. It is better to provide real relief to the people than to take artificial measures. The PPP government has focused on target subsidy in Sindh province. The target subsidy initiative is not difficult to impose,” she added.

Senator Sehr Kamran said that no one should be using free electricity even the Presidents, Prime Ministers and other government functionaries, who get free power units even after their retirement.

“Why is electricity given for free after retirement,“ she questioned. She said that paying bills in instalments was not a solution.

She asked for action against the people who are involved in power theft.