PBF expresses concern over the recurrence of electricity load management

Business Recorder reported that the Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has voiced serious concern over repeated electricity load management, despite installed generation capacity of 49,651MW. The Power Division blamed the latest nighttime curbs mainly on missing RLNG supplies and a late LNG cargo, which cut around 3,600MW of available output. PBF argues that consumers keep paying fixed and capacity charges even while outages drag on, asking why a fuel shortfall of this size can disrupt a system of almost 50,000MW.

Fuel costs formed a central part of the forum's case. RLNG met only about 11 per cent of grid generation in July, yet its cost per unit rose to roughly Rs47.4, a record 242 per cent jump from under Rs14 in April. Power companies have sought a Rs2.52 per unit positive FCA, worth about Rs36.54bn, to be recovered through September bills. PBF questioned whether the costly RLNG output was unavoidable, given that hydropower alone supplied nearly 40 per cent of July's 15,122GWh total.

The forum also raised circular debt, which reached Rs364bn in FY2025-26, about 709 per cent above the previous year's Rs45bn. The Power Division linked that increase to factors including K-Electric's payment shortfall and lower-than-planned subsidy releases. PBF said the debate should shift from blaming other institutions and that the 49,651MW figure includes 7,319MW of net-metered solar.