KARACHI: Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday after presiding over a special meeting on power crisis, directed Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to supply the required amount of gas to K-Electric so that electricity could be restored.
The special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) was called to resolve the prolonged power crisis in Karachi that had been aggravated by K-Electric’s tussle with SSGC.
PM Abbasi said that the issue of electricity and water will be resolved soon. Finance Adviser to PM Miftah Ismail has been given the responsibility to determine the outstanding dues by both companies within two weeks.
PM remarked that the issue of load shedding will end once dues are cleared as KE had claimed in a statement that its furnace oil plants have been functioning to optimum capacity, thus the shortage of power has solely been due to cuts in gas supply by SSGC.
Abbasi further added that the demand of electricity had exceeded from what was being produced, and with the burden of the majority not paying bills, commonly known as electricity theft, it has become impossible to provide electricity.
PM assured that there were no plans of privatising KE and it will be functioning under National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) tariffs. He said that KE could not charge more or less dues than the decided ones, thus claims that KE had been over-billing the customers were dismissed.
Abbasi stated that the centre had supported Sindh in every way possible and if it was requested that buses be provided for the Green Line Project, they will be provided.
The KE and SSGC tussle has turned the ‘city of lights’ into the city of darkness with the prolonged power outages. Businesses and daily life have come to a standstill with continuing power crisis. The most affected areas include Liaqutabad, Orangi Town, Korangi, Safoora Goth, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir and others.
On April 19, an official of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) briefed National Assembly’s Standing Committee in Cabinet Secretariat, holding KE guilty for the power outages. On April 17, protests were staged outside KE’s head office led by Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar.