Pakistan interim PM Kakar cancels Kenya visit as public anger sours on inflation 

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 2 (ANI): Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul-haq-Kakar has cancelled an official visit to Kenya after huge outrage over inflated electricity bills in his country, Geo News reported on Saturday.

Geo News quoting Pakistan’s Foreign Office reported that Kakar was scheduled to visit Nairobi, Kenya to attend the Africa Climate Summit at the invitation of President William Samoei Ruto, from September 4 to 6.

However, he cancelled the visit after evaluating the pros, cons and situation in the country, the publication said.

As per the Geo News, this would have been Kakar’s first foreign visit since taking the oath as Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister and will be accompanied by interim foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, caretaker cabinet ministers, advisors and special assistants.

Pakistan also observed a shutterdown strike on Saturday against the inflated electricity bills and inflation. 

More people are joining the nationwide protest every day against excessive electricity prices. Locals have been taking to the streets and even burning currency notes in protest, ARY News reported.

Protests against the exorbitant electricity prices have spread across the entire nation — from Karachi to Khyber — and some protests are now turning violent.

People in Karachi demonstrated against the excessive bills that K-Electric, the city’s only electricity provider, gave out. They expressed displeasure that their bills exceeded their salaries, according to ARY News, a news channel that operates in Pakistan.

A large number of people demonstrated in Peshawar, with locals declaring that they will not remain silent in the face of this “injustice.”Additionally, traders from Lahore Square and Ganj Bazaar set fire to power bills to vent their fury.

At Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi, protesters gathered and burned electricity bills, raising slogans against the government.

Protesters besieged the Gujranwala Electric Power Company office in an effort to draw attention to the inflated tariff issue.

Other cities such as Narowal, Attock, Sargodha, and Haripur, too, saw demonstrations against rising electricity costs.