Ending civil disobedience: Imran pays Bani Gala electricity bills

Published January 9, 2015
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan. — AFP/File
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday paid two pending electricity bills of his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad — a move which appears to signal the end of the civil disobedience movement he had launched against the federal government in August last year.

Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) authorities confirmed that the cricketer-turned-politician has paid two bills – a day into his marriage to DawnNews Anchor Reham Khan – which were pending since August 2014.

Khan has two power connections installed at his residence — the first one required him to pay Rs133,260 whereas the second amount stood at Rs15,310.

In October 2014, Iesco had cut off power supply to Khan's Bani Gala residence, citing non-payment of electricity dues as the reason for disconnecting electricity despite Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif's earlier claims that Imran had been paying his electricity bills.

Explore: Iesco cuts power to Imran's Bani Gala residence

Last year in August, Khan had given a call for civil disobedience as part of the PTI's then-protests against the federal government and had urged people not to pay taxes and utility bills to force the government to accept the party's demands, which included the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif whose government they called the outcome of a rigged election.

Examine: Imran launches 'don't pay taxes' movement

However, in the wake of the deadly assault on the Army Public School in Peshawar on Dec 16, Khan called off his four-month long protests, saying that the country needed national unity.

Take a look: Imran Khan announces end of PTI protests

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