NEPRA and K-Electric representatives grilled over power outages

Business Recorder reported that a Sindh Assembly special panel quizzed officials of HESCO, SEPCO, K-Electric and NEPRA on Wednesday about lengthy power cuts, voicing displeasure with their answers. Members cautioned that legal proceedings could follow unless the utilities raised their performance. Ultimately, the K-Electric team was ordered out of the session after the panel found their replies unsatisfactory.

Committee chairman Fayaz Butt said a final session with the CEOs would take place and that the strictest penalties the law allows would be weighed if no progress followed. He also asked why NEPRA had not withdrawn distribution licences when it was unable to enforce its own directives. K-Electric's head of distribution apologised on behalf of the chief executive, who did not attend, but Butt was not satisfied with the explanation.

One member sought privilege notices against K-Electric, while opposition leader Ali Khurshidi said the distribution firms behaved like a mafia. He further claimed that their general managers behaved like local strongmen in their areas. Khurshidi suggested the next session be held outside K-Electric's head office, with the public present.