PA unites against unannounced load-shedding

Cross-party committee demands strict action as KE, HESCO, SEPCO fail to justify unexpected power cuts

KARACHI:

Members of the Sindh Assembly have unanimously condemned the unannounced load shedding by electricity distribution companies K-Electric, HESCO, and SEPCO. Leaders from PPP, MQM, PTI, and Jamaat-e-Islami stood united in their demand for an immediate end to surprise power outages.

Despite strong calls from the special committee on energy to reduce load shedding, K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi continued to defend the unannounced power cuts. The committee expressed strong displeasure over the electricity companies' poor performance and ordered a strict ten-day deadline for compliance.

Committee members questioned how the load shedding schedule was changed without their approval, especially after the prior assurance that there would be no load shedding at night. Officials from K-Electric, HESCO, and SEPCO failed to provide satisfactory answers.

In a meeting held on Monday at the Sindh Assembly building and chaired by PPP's Fayyaz Butt, the special committee directed all electricity companies to immediately stop night load shedding and strictly adhere to an approved schedule. Sindh Assembly Speaker Owais Qadir Shah also attended the session.

Other participants included PPP leaders Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Asif Musa, Sadia Javed; MQM leader Ali Khursheedi; Jamaat-e-Islami's Muhammad Farooq; and senior officials from K-Electric, HESCO, and SEPCO. K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi apologised for missing the previous meeting.

The committee's frustration was evident as members criticised the prolonged and unpredictable power outages across Sindh, especially in Karachi. The meeting was tense before the arrival of the K-Electric CEO, with some members threatening to issue a show-cause notice for his absence.

Moonis Alvi was grilled about the legal basis for load shedding. He claimed it was necessary due to line losses, but committee members demanded to know under which law such measures are authorised. The officials failed to provide a clear legal justification.

MPA from Liaquatabad Moaz Mehboob warned that FIRs should be registered against K-Electric officials for illegal load shedding. When Alvi countered by mentioning electricity theft, Mehboob expressed his support for cracking down on theft as well.

Sindh Assembly Speaker Owais Qadir Shah emphasised that all electricity companies must provide a clear load shedding schedule. Jamaat-e-Islami's Muhammad Farooq highlighted that the previous agreement banned night load shedding, questioning how the schedule was changed without committee approval. Alvi defended the need for cuts during heatwaves, but Farooq dismissed the claim, noting Karachi's temperatures had not reached 45 degrees.

The meeting also saw members expressing frustration over CEO Alvi's dismissive attitude. Bilqis Mukhtar criticised him for not taking concerns seriously, while Sajjad Soomro and Sadia Javed asked him to stop using his mobile phone repeatedly during the meeting. Sadia also demanded an apology from K-Electric officials for disrespectful remarks made towards an MPA in an earlier session, a demand Alvi acknowledged with an apology on behalf of his institution.

Alvi admitted K-Electric's failure to effectively combat electricity theft and said stronger action was needed in affected areas, though cutting connections remained a challenge.