*Islamabad/Rawalpindi* – Residents of Bahria Town Islamabad/Rawalpindi are protesting against the management of Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd. The company is already facing allegations of corruption, land grabbing, and financial irregularities. Now, residents are protesting against “illegal additional electricity rates” imposed by Bahria Town.
Bahria Town surrendered its electricity distribution license in favor of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) in 2020. Despite this, Bahria Town continues to supply electricity and issue bills. Residents claim they are being charged 4 rupees per unit more than the rates set by NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority). These additional charges have not been refunded, accumulating to approximately 7-8 billion rupees.
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Furthermore, Bahria Town is underpaying solar energy producers and delaying payments to IESCO, leading to frequent load shedding. Residents, who are paying their bills on time, are severely affected by this situation.
NEPRA’s attempts to intervene have been ineffective so far. In April 2023, NEPRA ordered IESCO to bill residents directly, but IESCO has continued with Bahria Town’s billing practices. Residents allege that Bahria Town is unilaterally deducting units from solar energy producers in violation of NEPRA’s directives.
The situation worsens when residents speak out against Bahria Town’s actions; they are harassed, their electricity is cut off, and false cases are filed against them. These actions have created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety within the community.
In response, residents have decided to boycott paying electricity and service bills to Bahria Town until their issues are resolved. They are appealing to higher authorities, including NEPRA, IESCO, CDA (Capital Development Authority), and RDA (Rawalpindi Development Authority), to enforce the law and protect their constitutional rights.
The situation in Bahria Town exemplifies the struggle between citizens and powerful private entities for basic services and fair treatment. The united stance of the residents against Bahria Town’s exploitative practices reflects their demand for transparency, accountability, and adherence to legal and regulatory standards.
Attempts to contact Bahria Town Pakistan’s spokesperson and senior officer, retired Colonel Khalil, were made multiple times with all details shared, but he did not respond.
