KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly’s Special Committee on Energy on Monday directed all power distribution companies (Discos) in the province — with particular emphasis on K-Electric — to present a formal loadshedding schedule within the next 10 days, ensure uninterrupted night-time power supply and take effective steps to curb electricity theft.

The committee warned that failure to comply would result in legal action against the concerned companies.

The committee met at the Sindh Assembly building under the chairmanship of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Fayyaz Butt, with Sindh Assembly Speaker Awais Qadir Shah also making a special appearance.

The members from parliamentary parties, including the PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), participated in the session, which turned tense during the questioning of KE’s Chief Executive Officer Moonis Alvi.

Special Energy Committee of Sindh Assembly gives 10 days to Hesco, Sepco and K-Electric to submit schedule of planned outages

The lawmakers expressed anger over violations of previous agreements, which stated that there would be no loadshedding during the night.

The committee members confronted Mr Alvi, questioning why the loadshedding schedule had been altered without prior consultation.

“When it was agreed that there would be no power cuts at night, who gave you the authority to change the schedule without this committee’s approval?” asked Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi of the MQM-P.

The KE chief, along with officials from the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco), attempted to justify the outages by citing line losses.

However, committee members were not convinced. The legislators demanded to know the legal grounds that “allow” power utilities to conduct loadshedding and requested relevant documentation.

The MQM-P MPA from Liaquatabad, Muaz Mehmood, also confronted the KE CEO, seeking justification for power cuts outside the announced schedule. He proposed strong action against the utility for carrying out unscheduled loadshedding.

“For illegal loadshedding, KE officials should face FIRs,” he said, prompting an immediate response from Mr Alvi, who said: “Will you also register FIRs against those involved in power theft?”

Mr Mehmood assured the power utility that the committee supported its efforts to curb electricity theft, but urged it to stop “punishing” the residents of Karachi through unscheduled outages.

Speaker Shah emphasised that all Discos must submit a proper loadshedding schedule and strictly adhere to it.

JI’s Muhammad Farooq, visibly agitated, challenged the justification for ongoing nighttime outages, citing previous agreements aimed at preventing such disruptions.

“When has Karachi ever experienced 45°C temperatures, which you’re now using as an excuse for increased loadshedding?” he questioned.

His pointed query drew a sharp, sarcastic response from the KE CEO, who quipped, “It seems Jamaat-i-Islami has a special kind of love for us.”

Several lawmakers criticised Mr Alvi’s conduct during the session. Bilqees Mukhtar of the MQM-P noted that the KE chief appeared disinterested and failed to properly document the committee’s concerns.

Another member, Sajjad Soomro, objected to Mr Alvi’s constant use of his mobile phone during the proceedings, while Sadia Javed of the PPP demanded an apology from KE officials for using “inappropriate language” towards MPAs in a previous meeting.

Summing up the meeting, the opposition leader announced that the committee had issued a 10-day deadline for all power distribution companies to submit a revised loadshedding schedule, ensure transparency and eliminate night-time outages.

“If these directions are not followed, the government will take strict legal action against all defaulting power companies,” he warned.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2025