The government is enforcing power load-shedding of 6-12 hours in the intense heat across the country, citing significant revenue losses and agreements with the IMF, but allegedly violating NEPRA’s regulations and fundamental rights.
On Monday, a shortfall of 4,500 MW was recorded, with power supply at approximately 22,450 MW against a demand of 27,000 MW. This shortfall is in addition to revenue-based load shedding, implemented in areas with losses exceeding 10%.
Regions most affected by load-shedding include KPK, interior Sindh, Balochistan, south Punjab, and parts of Central Punjab under the jurisdiction of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO).
Consumer Reactions and Official Statements
Consumers have expressed strong criticism towards NEPRA during hearings about the power tariff hike and load-shedding. Despite these criticisms, officials from some distribution companies (Discos) have denied claims of forced or scheduled load-shedding in their areas.
- Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) reported that it met the peak demand of 2,369 MW with its allocated quota, claiming zero load-shedding in its region.
- Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) was allocated 1,950 MW and used 1,863 MW at 13:00 hours, indicating no shortfall.
An official mentioned that there is no generation shortfall as Discos are receiving their due quotas. However, outages in Discos are attributed to local faults in the distribution system, such as issues with transformers due to the intense heat.
Public Response and Policy Debate
In Karachi, prolonged load-shedding has led to public protests, with some demanding the provincial government provide solar panels as previously promised.
Revenue-based load-shedding has been a contentious topic, debated in various forums, including parliamentary standing committees. The Law Ministry and NEPRA have opposed this policy. NEPRA’s Chairman, Waseem Mukhtar, stated during a public hearing that the regulator is fining power companies for unscheduled load-shedding and suggested the government amend NEPRA’s law if it wants to continue forced load-shedding.
Efforts to Recover Outstanding Arrears
In June, Discos initiated a campaign to recover billions of rupees in outstanding arrears from public and private sector consumers as directed by the federal government. The effectiveness of this drive remains unclear, with total arrears amounting to approximately Rs 2 trillion.
