THERE is much to hold K-Electric accountable for. But the gratuitous bashing of the power utility and its private-sector management by the power bureaucracy and its line ministry needs to end.

The latest example of trenchant criticism of K-Electric comes from none other than the Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, who in his testimony before a standing committee, reportedly said that the current privatisation of the entity was “against the public interest”, and that the shareholders had a reputation of doubling their money within a few years and moving out. These are highly unfair remarks. If the privatisation was “against the public interest”, would the minister care to clarify how his own government’s scheduled privatisation of power distribution companies will be different? And given that the current shareholders have held management control for more than six years now, how can he argue that their intention is to double their money in a few years and then move out? Does his government intend to prohibit successful bidders from ever selling their shareholding when they privatise the distribution companies next year?

When K-Electric was in government hands, it was vilified for being inefficient and overstaffed and for devouring state subsidies. Using these arguments, the utility was the first to be placed on the chopping block when privatisation of the power sector began in the early 2000s, and now a new set of complaints is being bandied about. Yes, the federal government is owed money by K-Electric, but aren’t there payments owed to the utility by the government as well? Yes, K-Electric buys electricity from the national grid, but why shouldn’t it? Yes, there are inefficiencies and losses, but K-Electric’s record of reducing these is so far better than that of its counterparts in Punjab. Khawaja Asif should realise that he is responsible for the power sector of the entire country, and not just one province. He should understand that Karachi, as part of the country, does not deserve such one-sided censure.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2014