NEPRA has put on hold its decision on granting Rs4.69 per unit relief to K-Electric consumers for April’s fuel charges. The Power Division requested the delay, saying it needed time to finalise a nationwide uniform tariff policy in the Cabinet.
During the hearing, NEPRA’s legal team clearly opposed the Power Division’s request, citing lack of any formal Cabinet instruction. Chairman Waseem Mukhtar said that fuel cost adjustments are mandatory under the NEPRA Act and can’t be postponed without legal backing.
K-Electric’s CEO, Moonis Alvi, said that all rules had been followed and urged the authority to maintain regulatory certainty. He said delaying the Rs7.17 billion relief would hurt both the company’s finances and consumer trust in fair pricing.
Many Karachi-based consumers and industry representatives criticized the Power Division. They said the government never objected when charges rose, but now blocks relief. Industrial groups warned that this interference could damage investor confidence and violate Supreme Court rulings on NEPRA’s powers.
NEPRA ended the public hearing and reserved its final decision. It will announce the outcome after verifying submitted data and documents. The relief, if approved, will benefit millions of K-Electric consumers already facing high electricity bills.