بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Media Office of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan

N0: PR11050 – Sunday 18^th of Ziqa’ad 1432 AH – 16/10/2011

Electricity tariff increased by 50%: another gift from the capitalist system for the people

The government has raised the electricity tariff five rupees in just forty days, which represents a 50% increase in total. There could be no better step to break the back of the economy and drown the people in hardships. The American policy is quite clear, which is to keep Pakistan embroiled in various problems and the role of these rulers is to adhere to this policy through legislation and practical steps. To free themselves from blame over this manufactured electricity crisis, the rulers have used circular debt as a scapegoat. But the question arises as to who privatized the electricity assets in the first place, privatized entities whose only concern is extortionate profits, which resulted in the spiraling circular debt. If ownership was according to Islam’s laws, then these entities would be public ownership, so they would not be focused on profits or contributing to circular debt. It is this capitalist system that places public utilities in the laps of multinationals and capitalist, which is the origin of the peoples exploitation. Instead of taking heed from these experiences, the rulers have continued the exploitative policy of privatization and have recently announced the privatization of the power distribution company, PEPCO, as well. So, these companies will continue to mount up their profits, as a result the government debt will continue to grow and the government will shift that burden onto the people by increasing the cost of electricity through raising the tariffs. As if this was not enough the government is hell-bent on furthering Pakistan’s devastation by privatizing more of Pakistan’s economic backbone, including Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Railways and Pakistan International Airline, accompanied by a media campaign presenting them as failing assets, so that the people will swallow the need for their privatization.

We forewarn the Ummah and the people of power that if the country is left in the hands of these traitor rulers, Pakistan will be reduced from being one of the Muslim World’s strongest states to being as weak and impoverished as a small African or Central American state. We call upon the people of power to uproot these traitors and make a stand for Allah SWT, RasulAllah SAW and Islam. It is a duty upon the sincere officers within Pakistan’s armed forces to give the Nussrah to uproot the capitalist system and establish the Islamic system, Khilafah. Only the Khilafah will rescue the people from exploitation.

Naveed Butt

Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in Pakistan