Members of the National Assembly clashed over prolonged electricity loadshedding in Karachi, where areas like Korangi, Lyari, North Karachi, and Surjani endure over 12-hour daily outages amidst scorching heat.
During today’s session, Minister of State for Finance, Revenue, and Power Division Ali Pervaiz Malik informed the assembly that K-Electric had achieved zero loadshedding on 1,500 out of 2,109 feeders in Karachi. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice, Malik stated that 6 to 10 hours of loadshedding occurred on feeders with higher losses, not 16 hours as claimed.
Malik explained that ten feeders faced losses exceeding 25%, and efforts to reduce these losses involved local administration and public representatives. He emphasized that electricity tariffs were regulated by the National Electrical Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and price increases were due to fuel price adjustments.
However, PPP MNA Nabeel Gabol disputed Malik’s information, asserting that his Lyari constituency experienced 16-hour outages and accused departments of misleading ministers. He challenged Malik to resign if loadshedding lasted more than 10 hours.
Malik acknowledged that technical issues might cause outages longer than 10 hours and assured that all concerns would be addressed. He committed to visiting Karachi to resolve the issue and emphasized the government’s commitment to promoting renewable energy and addressing transformer losses.
