This strike marks a continuation of ongoing protest demonstrations led by traders and the general public in numerous cities.
KARACHI: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Sept 2nd, 2023) A shutter-down strike is underway across various parts of the country today, as traders and citizens alike voice their discontent over soaring electricity bills and unprecedented inflation.
This strike marks a continuation of ongoing protest demonstrations led by traders and the general public in numerous cities. Frustration over inflated power bills and unbearable price hikes had propelled people to take to the streets in recent days.
In the previous month, the national average tariff was raised by approximately Rs5 per unit by the power regulator, pushing the base unit power tariff from Rs24.82 to Rs29.78. On August 22, the government made yet another attempt to increase the power rate by Rs3.55 per unit.
Atiq Mir, the chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI), revealed that the organization had called for a two-day shutter-down strike to protest inflated electricity bills and the overall surge in inflation.
"We also asked the shopkeepers that participation in the strike was voluntary, acknowledging the financial challenges faced by all of us during these trying times," Mir informed Dawn.com.
Mir further stated that markets were presently closed, and the full impact of the strike's effectiveness would become apparent in the afternoon, as businesses typically reopen in accordance with the city's cultural norms.
However, in response to the public outcry, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar dismissed the issue as a "non-issue" during a recent interaction with journalists. He insisted that some political parties were using it as a "tool" in their election campaigns.
"It is not a very serious issue, but political parties are in election mode and using it as a social cause," stated the interim prime minister to senior journalists and news anchors on Friday.
