THE cruelty of K-Electric (KE) knows no bounds. The unavailability of electricity for hours in the scorching heat of October is unbearable. Power outages turn homes into dark, suffocating spaces. You open the windows in an attempt to keep yourself alive, and that brings in mosquitoes that keep buzzing all around the place. You are never sure if you want to die of suffocation or of some vector-borne disease, like dengue. These are the only options KEhas left for the people of Karachi. At another level, the rampant darkness in the entire locality is reflective of a deeper, emotional despair that settles in the souls of the residents.

It is appalling that people who diligently pay their bills on time every time are forced to endure power outages, while defaulters, like those in squatter settlements across the city, seem to live comfortably without consequences. This phenomenon raises a troubling question: is the KE colluding with the defaulters, allowing those who steal electricity to escape responsibility? Why are those who are legally entitled to electricity being deprived, while the illegal usersgounchecked? The authorities concerned must act swiftly and decisively. The lives of people matter, or, at least, they should. A thorough investigation into KE`s operations, including its consistent failureto provide electricity equitably, is critically important. This is more than just a service failure; it is a crisis that threatens the health and wellbeing of the people.

HudesaImam Karachi