KARACHI: Members of the Sindh Assembly have unanimously condemned unexpected power outages by K-Electric, HESCO, and SEPCO. Leaders from PPP, MQM, PTI, and Jamaat-e-Islami jointly demanded an immediate halt to unannounced load shedding.
Despite calls from the special committee on energy to reduce load shedding, K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi defended the surprise power cuts. The committee expressed strong dissatisfaction with the electricity companies’ performance and set a strict ten-day deadline for compliance.
Committee members questioned how the load shedding schedule was altered without their approval, especially after assurances there would be no night outages. Officials from KE, HESCO, and SEPCO failed to provide satisfactory explanations.
In a meeting chaired by PPP’s Fayyaz Butt at the Sindh Assembly, the committee directed all power companies to stop night load shedding immediately and follow an approved schedule. Sindh Assembly Speaker Owais Qadir Shah attended the session.
Other participants included PPP leaders Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Asif Musa, Sadia Javed; MQM’s Ali Khursheedi; Jamaat-e-Islami’s Muhammad Farooq; and senior officials from KE, HESCO, and SEPCO. KE CEO Moonis Alvi apologized for missing a previous meeting.
The committee criticized prolonged and unpredictable outages, especially in Karachi. Some members threatened a show-cause notice for Alvi’s prior absence.
Alvi was questioned about the legal grounds for load shedding. He cited line losses but could not specify the legal authority. MPA Moaz Mehboob warned that FIRs should be filed against KE officials for illegal load shedding. He supported tougher action against electricity theft mentioned by Alvi.
Speaker Owais Qadir Shah emphasized that clear load shedding schedules must be provided. Muhammad Farooq highlighted that prior agreements banned night load shedding and questioned how schedules changed without committee consent. Alvi cited heatwaves to justify cuts, but Farooq noted Karachi temperatures had not reached 45 degrees.
Members expressed frustration with Alvi’s dismissive attitude. Bilqis Mukhtar criticized him for not taking concerns seriously, while Sajjad Soomro and Sadia Javed asked him to stop repeatedly using his phone during the meeting. Sadia also demanded an apology from KE officials for disrespectful remarks towards an MPA, which Alvi accepted on behalf of the company.
Alvi acknowledged KE’s failure to control electricity theft and said stronger measures were needed in affected areas, though disconnecting consumers remained difficult.
