President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, while strongly criticizing K-Electric (KE) for subjecting Karachi’s residents and businesses to intensified load-shedding, urged the federal government to intervene in this pressing matter as all the efforts being made somehow to provide relief in electricity bills by the government were at stake purely due to KE’s unbridled load shedding.
In a statement issued, President KCCI stated that it was a sheer injustice to the citizens and the business community of Karachi, who cannot benefit from the recently announced ‘Sasti Bijli Sahulat’ package due to KE’s inefficiency. “The Sasti Bijli Sahulat package introduced to provide relief amidst rising living and doing business costs, is a commendable step for the rest of the country. However, due to KE’s enhanced load shedding, Karachi’s residents and industries are being deprived of this much-needed benefit”, Bilwani said, adding that the package, which offers discounted electricity tariff on incremental consumption, is rendered ineffective in Karachi as load-shedding disrupts power availability, particularly during peak hours.
He said that the Karachi Chamber has been inundated with hundreds of complaints from citizens through phone calls and emails in response to a recent campaign initiated by the Chamber to seek public input on load-shedding in their respective areas. “Our campaign to gather public input on load-shedding has received an overwhelming response, with complaints pouring in from every corner of the city”, he added.
“These complaints highlight the severe suffering caused by KE’s mismanagement, with reports of power outages lasting up to 12 hours in many areas,” President KCCI noted while referring specifically to a complaint received from the Agro Processing Zone in Gadap, which has to go through 12 hours of load shedding every day despite having a dedicated self-financed feeder labeled “Agro Export Zone” whereas all units in this specific area have been consistently paying their bills and are not involved in any form of electricity theft. “Many of these units are involved in export businesses, but they often incur significant losses due to prolonged load shedding, which damages export consignments, particularly perishable goods.”
Bilwani emphasized that feedback from the business community and the general public reflects widespread dissatisfaction among Karachiites. Many have expressed frustration over KE’s lack of accountability and even accused the regulator of allowing the utility service provider to exacerbate hardships through relentless load-shedding to prioritize profitability at the expense of public interest.
President KCCI also pointed out that small businesses, the backbone of Karachi’s economy, are the worst affected. “These businesses were counting on the relief provided by the government’s package to manage their rising operational costs. KE’s failure has shattered those hopes, jeopardizing their survival. Households, too, are being forced to rely on expensive backup power solutions, such as generators and UPS systems, negating any financial relief the package could have offered”, he added.
He urged the government to investigate why KE has failed to align its operations with the goals of the ‘Sasti Bijli Sahulat’ package and to ensure that Karachi is not excluded from all such national initiatives due to KE’s poor performance. “We also call on KE to address the overwhelming public grievances by strictly refraining from carrying out load shedding in addition to improving its services”, he stressed and warned that if corrective action was not taken immediately, KCCI would continue to escalate this issue and ensure the voices of Karachiites are heard.
