THE residents of PIA Society in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area are facing un-warranted brutal torture and oppression at the hands of K-Electric (KE) since March this year. For the last 10 years, since the installation of the triple-wire system, the area was totally free of loadshedding as all bills were paid timely by the society residents. Many of them have been graded ‘star customers’; by KE itself.

However, KE has now started prolonged loadsheddings , forcing the residents to bear the most torturous midnight power-offs. Total loadshedding spreads to at least six hours every day.

It is alleged that illegal connections, called kunda, are installed by unscrupu-lous vested interests. It is also believed that some KE employees are involved in this nefarious misdeed in collusion with the shop-owners who do not have any electricity meter installed, besides a large gasoline pump which has no meter at all since its inception. There is a huge squatter settlement nearby, which is a completely tax-free zone comprising small houses, large villas and multi-storied apartments.

The KE has been highly strict about illegal connections, but, in our case, nobody is doing anything about this. The power company should remove the kundas at the earliest and save the genuine, paying consumers from this uncalled for torture in this hot and humid weather.

There can be hardly any justification for foisting the responsibility of crimes of others on the innocent shoulders, instead of punishing the black sheep within its fold and those enjoying free electricity.

Name withheld on request
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2026