On the other hand, many provincial government organizations owe billions of rupees to the power company.
KARACHI: Cold stoves in homes, and ever-increasing long queues of vehicles at CNG stations, have brought great misery to the citizens of Karachi. During the current gas crisis, a large number of people are thronging restaurants to buy cooked food or bread. Besides the common citizens, even the resourceful industrialists are suffering due to this crisis. As the gas supply in Karachi is insufficient, many industries are also operating fewer daily shifts, thus significantly reducing their productivity and leading to a rise in unemployment, all over the metropolis.
While the relevant authorities have not yet resolved the gas crisis, a severe power crisis is also emerging. The power utility of Karachi has officially stated that we need to pay the huge costs of purchasing gas and other fuels. On the other hand, many provincial government organizations owe billions of rupees to the power company.
If the government of Sindh does not pay these overdue amounts to the power companies soon, the general public, commercial sector, and the industries will begin to suffer from electricity load shedding as well. It is quite evident that along with the gas crisis, if an electricity crisis also begins to debilitate the business activities in Karachi, the rate of business index will fall to a dangerous level.
I plead to the higher authorities, especially the provincial government of Sindh, to at least settle the debts and payables to the power companies to secure it from an economic collapse because the power supply in Karachi which is the economic hub of Pakistan must be treated as a bigger priority compared to the gas crisis.
Gulshan Naz
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2020.
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