I feel frustrated when I see the crisis news of Pakistan in this Paper, Pakistan is a minute country, This paper should not cover only the news of Pakistan. Pakistan makes so nuisance that this paper is filled with Pakistani news, Pls. stop this.

Yet another meeting but not action !

Its unfortunate how our politicians turn back on their statement. PML(n) leaders made huge claims on reducing tarriffs and what not; just last week minister for water power made a claim on tv that not only production would be increased but rates/tarriffs would be reduced. The recent budget potrays the sorry state of affairs and the same old mind-set.

there is an action. Increase the Tariff !!!!

There is a huge difference between the cost of producing electricity and what we pay for it. Should we continue to suffer continued power cuts or pay a higher tariff??

Think they need to cut off all free flying privileges for current and retired staff particularly international travel. also reduce the number of senior employees.

what a shame!!! - these are the same people who were shouting at the PPP govt for raising the rates/tarriffs - the present govt are going to squeeze the blood of the nation in the coming years - it is high time the people need to learn their lession which they have not learnt for 65 years

This is the chance for them to serve the needy people of the country but they are there to cut the people everything they had. The should not forget what fate previoius govt met - they will come to the public again soon. (vootoon ki bheeg).

Its such a shame! I don't have anything else to say.

Mian sahib it is not the department which is notorious,it is that bureaucrats and their confidential staff sitting under your nose who play up with your orders,leaks important decisions and cause delays in the issue of minutes of the every meeting.They are issued only in accordance with the blessing of net users and convince.Please over this mess first to succeed.

Shame on PML-N so the only solution they have to fix issue is to increase the tariff of electricity.

Mian Sahib,who will catch the thieves of gas,oil,spare parts and those wapda employees who are stealing and selling electricity and putting it in line loses.

chor chori se jaaye par heraa pherii se na jaaye!

i personally don't mind increase in tariff provided they assure me that that theft and undue losses have been taken into account and their "loading" would not be a part of the proposed increase ....such a loss due to theft or losses should be bear by the respective provinces they make it a subsidy to their consumer or charge separately

Its taking USA, with all the resources to get back to normalization over 8 years while Pakistan has elected Nawaz, whom seem to be working hard at the elementary problems. Things that has being set back for years cant be fixed over a matter of days or months. As for those concern with reducing the prices, every Pakistani has to pay the dues. Now is the time to show honesty and man up to pay the tax and support the government. Don't forget the whole country has profoundly elected Nawaz with a majority and let him do his job...I'm not sure the things he started to work on, the PPP government had even taken the time to think about in the last five years. I'm proud of Pakistan, this perhaps be the best decision Pakistan has taken in elected the best leader in my life time...I per one supported PTI but now to think about it, that would be the 2nd best decision due to the lack of experience that party hold...perhaps an election of PTI would doomed Pakistan to go back into military...while Nawaz seem to have articulate all the moved Army tend to make and he is taking every step wisely, just assumed Iran being on his place, Pakistan might already have found itself at war with the Superpower, which perhaps could have taken Pakistan a few decades back...its easy to blame but its very hard to be in the spot of governance...I ask, every Pakistani to wait and watch...I've faith in the current leadership and Nawaz is greatly changed....thanks..I'm not going to read my statement for errors...so if there is one of those smart one...feel free to shot.

Poor strategy from PML(N) to mitigate the crisis.

Serves the ppl right for voting in an corrupt inept regime headed by a major fraudster

@AA: What else did you expect from PML-N? These are all tried-and-tested politicians who themselves have been a big liability on this nation for a long time. All these people took out loans and never paid them back. Only if those loans are recovered, there will be enough money in government's exchequer to address a lot of its current financial woes. But that will never happen.

@AA: You must believe in magic right. You cant reduce tarrif before changing the fuel type. Till you move to cheaper source to generate, reducing tarrif is not a solution.

So far, so good.

Pakistanis deserve for hiking prices of electricity, petroleum and food stuff. Why they elected such leaders, whose past was clear to all. I am sorry poor Pakistanis, I always prays for the betterment and prosperity of Pakistan, but now i wll stop my prays for the country..

wow well done pmln n hats off to pakistan and supporters of pmln i just hope nawaz makes life living hell for all of u who voted for him. these ppl just loved to be fooled again and again. well done pmln keep increasing tariffs and gst after all you will b in top 10 worlds richest man list soon :)

Nothing going to happen in this country unless people of pakistan wake up......... Or keep sleeping till nothing left for yout future Generation. And they cant blame anyone but themselfs.

Last 5yrs general public was looted by PPP and next 5 yrs will the PML(N) Good job! this is what you deserve

Again PM did not mention Iran. Talked was already done with Iran and work was initiated during last government and it was already done from Iran side and had not started from Pakistan. Why PM is having problem with Iran? Why he is making process long by meeting with India?

Consumers are charged for the thing that is not provided. Isn't strange? let alone the increase.

Welcome to Pakistani politics of lottas. We have ministers/candidates who are lottas moving from one party to another ... and then we have leaders of the parties that are lottas that move away from their promises. Whatta shame! Increase the tarriff but not the supply. There is a service charge included in the tarriff ... but why is there a service charge but no service?

Pls don't ask for electricity frm India , our villages hardly get 16-18 hrs of power supply , let India give 24 hrs of electricity to every corner of it , then and only then it should think of selling extra power.

can import from india but not from iran .its proved the theory that he was selected but not elected

@PJ: It's a Pakistani paper. Of course it covers Pakistani news. As well, Pakistan is the world's fifth most populous country so it's always relevant, regardless of what newspaper you're looking at

Obviously they had better options but they have chosen the most unwanted ones. Rather than releasing funds for Thar coal they opted to import Indian electricity. I can't believe it. Rather than taxing the agriculture, CGT and closing the loopholes in direct tax they opted to take more sales tax and tax on working class through salaries. How will this money ever help clear the circular debt? It will increase more if they don't change the pattern of taking uncleared bills. By squeezing the higher earning and medium earning middle class more they are actually taking revenge from PTI voters. Those who already pay the most taxes will pay for the theft of the government as more than 120 billion rupees are unpaid by government departments to WAPDA and subsidize the small shop keepers are low earning middle class who are PML N voters. These people the middle class hard earners will actually subsidize the rich and corporate class. Welcome to Pakistan!!

Mian Sahib! About time you start taxing the 3.2m elite non-tax payers in this country comprising the landed elites, the industrial magnates and the powerful oligarchic groups. After you have done that, you can double the tariffs on electricity and do whatever you desire with the GST. But will you do it? No! I know you will not---you have come to power on the support networks of these powerful groups and you are not inventive enough to challenge them. So, Pakistanis, stop dreaming that anything new is about to blossom in Pakistan over the next five years---the only thing that might change superficially is that corruption levels might slide, since the PML-N is definitely not capable of achieving the massive levels of graft achieved by the previous set-up. Thats it---nothing else. Peeli, neeli, safaid taxis will follow suit without any real public policy thought behind them, loans will be taken at the expense of public exchequer, while the agents of industry and trade and agronomy will have them written off, promises will be made and forgotten in a wish-wash of Metro trains, motorways and stock exchange build ups. At the same time, inflation will register meteoric gains, the Ashiana houses will remain a dream for the 85 % have-nots and your milkman will also increase his price for the largesse he provides you.

Perhaps the increase in tariff is inevitable, but what about the pre-election rhetoric?

@Waqar Khan: come waqar khan, come out of child-hood dreams and live in reality . this PML ( Punjab Muslim League ) will sink everyone into manifolds debts people will forget about circular debts and drones.

Conversation started Monday According to our information of the various cost of generation of electricity in Pakistan it is per kwh or unit is. Diesel Rs 30 Gas Rs 7 Hydel Rs 4 it will take between 7 to 10 years Coal Rs 7 time will be 3 to 4 years Furnace oil Rs 16 SOLAR Rs 10.5 to RS 11 We can Install and be operational for 1000 mw solar plant or Farm in 9 to 10 months after the paper work is done , WE can be operational in 4 to 6 months for lesser MW's ,We can do it in stages of 100 mw, 300mw 500 mw to 1000 mw The upfront cost will be $370,000 per mw the balance will be loan which we will provide and can be paid on a 20 year basis from the revenue generated and there is no fuel cost and price remains same for 20+years Area

This is what you sowed on May 11. Keep reaping..

I don't mind this tariff hike. We burn oil to produce most of the electricity in our country. And, it now is probably the most expensive (traditional) way of generating power. We should look to import power from India - importing power would be economical and quick than generating it locally. We are importing around 500 MW from Iran - we should look to double it too. IPPs are killer too - just too expensive! Govt. should not look to give subsidy on everything - its time for unpopular decisions...

@Umair Khalid: Grow up ! Always making a mockery of serious issues

Mian Sahib did not take long to show his true colours.

We need all the help we can from India. India / China are the super powers in our area and working hands in hands can improve things for us. Let's face it and accept it, India is the growing force and our expanded borders can help. let's do a win win situation for both sides. India has been going up and we are coming down!

Electricity prices are already very high :(

Great achievement, PPP couldn't do this in it's 5 years for a single time!!!!!!

Make the honest tax payers to clear the circular debt because it's too difficult to track the crooks down who had caused the crisis in the first place. Can't believe people voted for this corrupt nutjob.

You can't save a sinking ship with dishonest crew.

It is not a good idea to engage in trade with India. They tend to be more educated than Pakistanis, they tend to be more clever ("tayz" or street smart). The idea of Pakistan ( a separate state) was to have a separation from India and her culture / customs - this includes trade as well. Far better to import energy from Iran or Afghanistan. Better still let us import the idea of self reliance from India. Gandhi (perhaps the only honorable Indian) proposed "swaraj" (self rule and self reliance) and marched thousands of miles (salt march) just so he could end India's reliance on British imported salt (he wanted to make his own salt by the sea side). Pakistan ofcourse does not know anything about Gandhi (poor education) and nor do we understand that India is one of the most protectionist countries in the world (they do not allow foreigners to import anything, they used to forbid Coke and Pepsi from entering the Indian market; their idea was to develop their own soft drink manufacturing corps, but then they realized they no longer wanted to lead the world in soft drink manufacturing and permitted Coca Cola to enter the Indian market). Nawaz Sharif maybe a businessman but he is no match for the PHD in economics (Singh of India). So typical that India has a world renowned PHD in Economics leading India and we have a guy who barely finished his Bachelors from a Uni. in Pakistan. If Pakistanis want to be energy independent they need to contact the Wahabis in Saudia and find out how to explore for and find oil in Pakistan AND better yet they need to use nuclear power (that is the main point of nuclear energy and science NOT bombs) AND they need to fund solar energy capture and transmission (in cooperation with Suparco, the space agency if they want to lead the world in energy management).

Oh no. PML N NS is raising tariff to fill the pockets of corrupt. What else should we expect from a corrupt regime.

This is the first government in pakistan that is addressing the core issues effecting pakistan immediately after taking office. This must be seen in a positive sense, the fact that the tariff is being increased should not matter, per unit cost of electricity in pakistan is still cheaper than India. The increase is likely to only effect heavy users who tend to rich and therefore well able to afford it. Pakistani people complain if nothing is done and they also complain when something is being done.

@Waqar Khan: "Now is the time to show honesty and man up to pay the tax and support the government." My friend, we are all paying our taxes and Mr. PM instead of extending the tax net just raised taxes on only taxed middle class. Do you think a common man can escape those taxes? so don try to say these kind of words to us. Mr. PM really cannot solve problem in days or months, I agree but atleast he should show some courage to start fixing those. A person who even bothered to put tax on his baby business such as agriculture, industry, stock exchange etc..

@Waqar Khan: Only poor people pay taxes and that my friend is the problem. Taxing more is not the answer but collecting tax is. But then Nawaz is not really interested in taxing himself and cronies. But people get what they vote for.

We need transparency !

Suggestion. 1.Tax the houses. 500 yards and so on shall pay x amount in addition to all other taxs. 2. Every car owner shall pay extra tax in addition to whatever he is paying. 3. The power connection to be cut for six months if there is any stealing of the power. 4. A visit to big markets where the price of shops are in crores like shahalmi, gulburg, azam market in Lahore and clifton, boulton market, karadar in Karachi and such other places in Pakistan and check how mucg tax are these guys paying. 5. Close cng stations and divert the gas to produce electricity. 6. Increase the petro price by twenty rupees. Anyone who can afford car can afford extra tax on petrol. The owners will use their car less, shall reduce their unproductive trips. 7. Power thievies who use kundas without any fear like in certain areas of a political party in karachi should be put in prisons with their power connections cut for one year.

Enjoying the heavy mandate? What else is expected from a person living in 90's?

We claim to be educated and rational people but we don't understand or don't want to that a newly elected democratic wouldn't go for price and tariff rasie if it had an option. We all knew the problem faced by pakistan in energy sector and state of economy was also no different yet we demand an over night solutions to problems without burdening us. Do you think there is any other solution to this except creating revenue and funding for all power generation projects, all developed nations pay high taxes to keep the economy moving..... we will hopefully be able to take the country out from the mess it is in...lets hope that investor comes to pakistan and employment is generated and tax money is utilized for our betterment.

By increase in Electric RATES, the cost of every thing will increase. Who is such a fool believing that any one in Pakistan use only 100 units of Electricity, only those who uses KUNDAS. Increase in Energy cost will shows real face of Pakistan Muslim league N

Government should take initiatives to reduce line losses instead of increasing power charges. Every step for betterment require sincerity which is rare in our country.

typical knee jerk reaction increase the tariff, look into the root cause of the problem, address those issues and communicate those plans nationwide. Every speech/text I have seen focuses on ya karain gay wo karain gay...etc. but nothing happens!. develop broad strategy and make it public and work toward the set goals/targets.

Before raising rates they need to stop people from stealing the electricity. I am sure this will cover the immediate shortfall. Then they need to privatize the grids. Watch how they take care of it