ISLAMABAD:The Standing Committee on Privatization has recommended that the federal government provide concessions to domestic power consumers using 200 to 300 units in the upcoming budget. The proposal was made during a meeting chaired by Dr. Farooq Sattar, where lawmakers expressed grave concerns over worsening load shedding, inadequate heatwave preparations, and poor service delivery by power distribution companies (DISCOs) .
Dr. Sattar sharply criticized K-Electric, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO), accusing them of failing the public during extreme weather. “These companies have killed people while they were alive,” he said, referencing widespread outages amid record temperatures. The committee also discussed complaints about excessive meter rents charged during Eid-ul-Adha and noted the Sindh government’s initiatives to address energy issues .
Members emphasized the need for stricter regulatory oversight of DISCOs and called for an accelerated shift toward renewable energy solutions to mitigate the crisis. The meeting highlighted unresolved challenges in Pakistan’s power sector, including liquidity constraints and aging infrastructure, which have exacerbated outages despite recent tariff adjustments .
The committee’s budget proposal aims to ease the burden on middle-income households, aligning with broader reforms tied to IMF-mandated privatization targets for state-owned utilities, including PIA and DISCOs .
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