ISLAMABAD: The K-Electric came under fire in the National Assembly on Friday as MNAs belonging to the ruling alliance lashed out at the power utility for carrying out prolonged loadshedding and high tariff.

Lawmakers on the treasury and opposition benches warned the Centre that people may compel to go for civil disobedience if they were not provided electricity right from the Sindh to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the sweltering heat.

During the session that was presided over by Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, a calling attention notice was moved by Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Asad Alam Niazi on long duration of power loadshedding in Karachi.

Another PPP MNA, Nabeel Gabol, said his constituency Lyari had been facing up to 16 hours of loadshedding. “If the issue of loadshedding is not resolved people will go for civil disobedience,” he added.

PPP MNA Shazia Marri said more than 20 hours of power loadshedding was being carried out by power utilities in Sindh.

“The relevant minister just records his statement on the floor of the house but he does nothing practically,” she added.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also attended the NA session.

The opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl staged a walkout in the NA as its leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said: “It is unprecedented that the NA session was continued during Juma prayer.”

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2024