Daily Times

Sir: Political parties are claiming to end load shedding in the country within a span of two to three years. Hearing these tall claims, I decided to get accurate information from the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) and so I sent a tweet to the KESC as follows: “Why is load shedding carried out? Is it a production capacity issue or the circular debt?” The KESC promptly bounced back with a reply as follows: “KESC has full production capacity. It’s the circular debt and shortage of gas supply.”

If we keep the issue of gas supply aside, the main issue is of circular debt. Whose duty was it to recover payments of bills from the consumers, to control line losses and remove illegal connections, and to take electricity thieves to task? Had the KESC and the government performed its duty, Pakistan would have never faced this era of darkness. Even the courts did not take any action against the giant defaulters of the KESC, particularly government institutions and influential people — read politicians. This is the truth of load shedding in Pakistan. If the caretaker government clears the dues of Pakistan State Oil, enabling prompt and smooth supply of furnace oil for electricity production, load shedding can end in two to three days. I hope the new government is listening.

M RAFIQUE ZAKARIA

Karachi