No plan to increase electricity prices: energy minister

Govt had raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs35 per litre earlier in the day

Water and Power Minister Khurram Dastgir on Sunday said that the government was not considering an immediate increase in the price of electricity despite the government jacking up tariffs of petrol and diesel.

He said this at a function organised at the Governor House in Peshawar regarding the inclusion of electricity produced privately for PESCO's system in Upper Chitral.

He said that legal hurdles were removed to take Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation's (PEDO) electricity to the national grid, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked to clear the matter with K-P Governor Ghulam Ali.

Read more: Govt jacks up petrol price by Rs35

During the ceremony, WAPDA officials gave a briefing to the governor explaining that Upper Chitral's population was 475,600 and it needed only nine MW of electricity and PEDO system was providing six MW.

They said that additional funds were needed to meet the electricity shortage in the district.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced an increase in petrol and diesel prices by Rs35 per litre effective immediately.

The finance minister maintained that kerosene oil and light diesel oil prices were being jacked up by Rs18 per litre.

Following today's hike, petroleum is to be sold at a rate of Rs249.80 per litre, while diesel prices have been raised to Rs262.80 per litre. Kerosene oil will be available at Rs189.83 per litre while light diesel oil will cost consumers Rs187 per litre.