Question:

Let us look at a ‘small’ problem of the poor man. The bills of electricity and gas have gone much up, at times greatly inflated. Could Jama’at do something about this?

Answer:

It is not electricity alone or gas; there were many problems. There was no law and order; justice was delayed; there was that high cost of living, the unemployment, corruption, poor communication infrastructure, defective sanitation system, poor literacy and the problems of health care. Now the poor owner of 12.5 acres is being taxed, over-billing is done in the utility bills, large surcharges are levied, and so on. Making demands is no answer to these problems. The nation cannot go to observe shut-down (hartal) on every issue. A commutative solution is to bring about a radical and basic structural change and that warrants instituting a revolutionary government, one that refuses to dwell in the ‘Aiwan-e-Sadar’ and the Prime Minister’s house. The annual running cost of only these two houses is Rs 1.72 billion. Should the President and the Prime Minister of a poor country have this right and privilege? Better these gentlemen move to the middle-class houses or flats and sit in the Secretariat offices for work, where all facilities are already provided.

It was right that in certain areas, people did not pay for the electricity they use. The question is how much electricity is used by these people? There are no industries or big commercial enterprises there; they may be having a bulb or two for lighting. No matter how much is the consumption, WAPDA knows very well where the bulk of electricity goes and where and how much of it is misused. If the culprits are not caught, then it is certain that the mall-practice is done with the connivance of the functionaries of the Authority.

The people in North and South Waziristan complain that when they apply for passport, they are asked to annex with the application, a Rs 500 paid voucher for electricity, even if the applicant has no electricity connection in his house. Similarly, when the voters’ lists were prepared sometime back, the villages that have no electric line at all, were also asked to produce electricity bills. The question thus reveals that people are generally unaware of the other side of the story. This is an inhumane system of unbounded oppression. Let, and when we come to power, every one will pay for whatever he/she has utilized. The misuse by one will not be ‘charged’ or ‘surcharged’ from innocent people.