KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) opposition leader in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Advocate Saifuddin, has taken strong exception to K-Electric’s sudden increase in Municipal Utility Charges and Taxes (MUCT), calling it illegal and unfair to the people of Karachi.
According to the JI, in the legal notice to K-Electric Chief Executive Officer Moonis Abdullah Alvi, Saifuddin said the company had raised MUCT for commercial properties to Rs750 a month.
The last City Council resolution had fixed the rate at Rs400 in June 2024, while a later proposal to raise it to Rs550 was deferred earlier this year. No fresh approval has been given since, he pointed out.
Saifuddin argued that K-Electric only serves as a collection agent for the city government and has no authority to increase charges on its own. He said this arbitrary move has deepened the financial burden on citizens already struggling with high costs of living.
The Opposition Leader also noted that the issue is before the Sindh High Court, where contempt proceedings are pending against K-Electric for earlier violations.
He demanded that the company roll back the increase, refund the extra money collected, and issue a public apology to Karachi’s residents. A copy of the notice has also been sent to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), the JI confirmed.
Saifuddin warned that any future attempt to change the rates without City Council approval would be resisted both in court and on political platforms.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025