IPP agreements to be challenged in Supreme Court

Dr Gohar Ejaz points out that high cost of electricity has become unbearable, driving citizens into poverty

ISLAMABAD:

Former Interim Commerce Minister Dr Gohar Ejaz has announced that the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) will approach the Supreme Court to challenge the agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPP).

In a tweet, Ejaz revealed that the FPCCI, representing Pakistan's business community, will file a formal petition in the SC that will request the court's intervention in what Ejaz described as an intolerable situation that affects the right to life of every Pakistani.

Read: Corrupt contracts lead to high electricity costs, claims Gohar Ejaz

Ejaz highlighted that under the current IPP agreements, Pakistan pays billions of rupees to companies that do not produce electricity.

He pointed out that the high cost of electricity has become unbearable, driving citizens into poverty and causing businesses to go bankrupt.

Referring to a detailed report written in 2020 by former Interim Energy Minister Muhammad Ali, Ejaz noted that the report exposed losses amounting to hundreds of billions due to government incompetence and IPP misrepresentations.

He questioned why the report had not been fully implemented and why the forensic audit demanded in the report had not been ordered.

"The government must decide whether the survival of 240 million Pakistanis is more important than guaranteed profits for 40 families," Ejaz stated.

He emphasised that Pakistan, rich in resources, needs to eliminate mismanagement to achieve prosperity. "Electricity costs are a crucial issue for Pakistan's industries and directly affect the lives of 240 million people," he added.

Ejaz concluded by warning that Pakistan cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes every few years, simply to allow a new group of "investors" to profit without contributing.