KARACHI:
Small traders across Karachi have strongly protested the sudden surge in utility charges included in commercial electricity bills, warning they may refuse to pay if the hike is not immediately rolled back.
Atiq Mir, Chairman of the All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) arbitrarily raised the monthly fee from Rs400 to Rs750 without any consultation. Calling it “a clear act of deception,” he questioned what services or performance justified such a steep increase. “This is nothing but an attempt to squeeze shopkeepers and artificially inflate KMC’s revenue,” he remarked.
Mir pointed out that the move would boost KMC’s monthly earnings from Rs220 million to Rs330 million, yet the state of the city remains dismal. “Markets continue to suffer from broken roads, clogged drains, uncollected garbage, and heaps of filth. Traders are being forced to pay more without seeing a single improvement,” he said, demanding accountability for how previous collections were spent.
He further noted that even one spell of rain is enough to cripple Karachi’s commercial hubs for days, costing businesses billions in losses. Accusing both K-Electric and KMC of collusion, he alleged that the two institutions had “destroyed Karachi’s trade and civic life,” adding that K-Electric was pocketing a 7.5 percent commission from KMC while burdening shopkeepers with inflated bills.
Warning of stronger action, Mir said the business community would be left with no option but to boycott electricity bill payments if the increase is not reversed. He appealed to the federal government and the Army Chief to intervene, saying traders could no longer shoulder the weight of what he described as unjust charges.
