MQM-P urges federal action over prolonged Karachi power outages

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has sharply criticised K-Electric over what it described as unbearable electricity outages in Karachi during extreme heat, and called for immediate intervention by the federal government.

In a statement, the party’s spokesperson said extended load-shedding had made daily life extremely difficult for residents, with students appearing in examinations among those most affected. The spokesperson said, Due to K-Electric's inefficiency, students are facing severe mental stress at a critical time.

The party accused the power utility of serious incompetence and said the company had effectively been given a license to oppress Karachi’s residents. It further alleged that K-Electric had crossed all limits of negligence and high-handedness, while the authorities appeared unable to take effective action.

MQM-P also raised concern over outages in neighbourhoods that had officially been declared exempt from load-shedding. According to the party, even those areas were now facing lengthy power cuts.

The statement said K-Electric regularly cites electricity theft as the reason for outages, but the party alleged that this explanation was being used to conceal shortcomings in infrastructure and power generation.

According to MQM-P, several localities in Karachi are facing electricity cuts lasting between 18 and 22 hours a day, despite consumers paying some of the highest electricity tariffs in the country.

Demand for prime minister’s intervention

The party called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate notice of the situation. It also demanded that K-Electric’s licence be revoked and that its operations be transferred to what it termed a more capable service provider.

The criticism comes amid intense heat in Karachi, where prolonged outages have become a major public concern. MQM-P’s statement framed the issue as one affecting not only household routines but also students and other residents struggling through extended periods without electricity.

The party’s remarks focused on the duration of the outages, the impact on consumers, and what it described as a failure by the utility to provide relief even in areas that were supposed to remain free from load-shedding.

MQM-P maintained that urgent federal action was needed to address the crisis and pressed for a change in the management of electricity supply in the city.