Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused the federal government of deliberately creating electricity crisis to victimise the people and divert their attention from the Panama leaks and other misdeeds of the Sharif government in the country, especial in Sindh and its provincial capital Karachi.

In a press statement issued, the PPP chairman said that electricity need of the country is 23,700 megawatt while the total power generation capacity is 23,600. Thus, practically there is a meager shortfall of just 100 megawatt. “The federal government and its electric companies were inflicted an artificial shortfall of 7,000 megawatt upon the people during the severe heatwave the country is undergoing nowadays,” he added.

He said that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government paid hundreds of billions rupees circular debt and, in some cases, the extra payments were made to the IPPs but still it is imposed artificial load shedding on the consumers to burn them in the scorching heat.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that providing electricity is a state function as per our constitution and the world over it remains the same but the PML-N government is targeting the people with unannounced load shedding and mock power breakdowns, which are being condemned by every Pakistani. He further said that Sindh province is producing surplus electricity but its length and breadth have been subjected to unbearable load shedding by PML-N government.

He condemned the attitude of K-Electric, which means only minting money and fleecing the people of Karachi without supplying electricity. “K-Electric has capacity 1,800mw and 1,000mw supply from other resources including IPPs and WAPDA. But it generates only 400mw through gas-fired power plants and has practically shut down its Furnance Oil power plants to save billions of rupees in profits while Karachittes burn under fire-spitting son,” he added.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that old areas of Karachi including Lyari, Kharadar, Keamari and other poor localities are specially targeted with 8-12 hours of load shedding. Residents of Lyari are even compelled to hold a protest outside K-Electric office yesterday against the discriminatory attitude of the concerned authorities.

The PPP chairman said, “He was informed that K-Electric has switching to use of silver cables instead of copper, which don’t pick much load thus multiplying the electricity crisis.”

He also warned K-Electric, HESCO and SEPCO to stop issuing over billing to the consumers and improve their performance without any delay. Otherwise, the people won’t tolerate this victimisation and come out on roads against them.