QUETTA: Members of the Balochistan Assembly on Monday strongly criticised the Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) for its failure to ensure reliable electricity amid extreme heat gripping the province.

In a meeting chaired by Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola, lawmakers voiced concern over unannounced load shedding, faulty transformers, staff shortages and Qescos’s alleged disregard for public complaints.

Provincial Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran and others said entire communities are being penalised for electricity theft by a few. Ali Madad Jatak claimed Qesco engineers often block citizens’ calls.

“Our constituencies are receiving only a few hours of power,” said Liaquat Ali Lehri, a MPA from Quetta. His sentiment was echoed by Muhammad Khan Lehri from Nasirabad.

Electric company’s chief blames the crisis on low bill recovery rates

Fazal Qadir Mandokhail and Hadiya Nawaz demanded that Qesco provide at least 16 hours of electricity daily for Zhob and Jaffarabad.

Mr Khetran suggested adding Water and Sanitation Agency’s water dues to electricity bills to help ensure water access, noting that “Buying water is unaffordable for many”.

Asghar Ali Tareen highlighted outages in Pishin despite many farmers switching to solar power. Barkat Rind said residents of Turbat pay bills but still suffer due to staff shortages.

Rehmat Saleh Baloch from Panjgur held a silent protest, indicating lawmakers could not justify the crisis to their constituents.

Deputy Speaker Gola said Sohbatpur had been without power for three days despite 52C temperatures, stressing that the provincial government had allocated PSDP funds for power infrastructure, yet Qesco’s performance remains poor.

In response, the Qesco chief said Balochistan receives 600MW from the national grid and blamed the crisis on low bill recovery rates.

He cited Shahbaz Town, where full recovery enables 24/7 supply, and urged public cooperation. The chief added that Qesco is taking steps to improve the situation and urged public cooperation.

Lawmakers vowed to continue exerting pressure on the utility company until public grievances are adequately addressed.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2025