The treasury benches in the National Assembly on Friday had an altercation over hours-long electricity loadshedding in Karachi as various areas in the metropolis grapple with extended power outages in scorching hot weather.
Korangi, Lyari, North Karachi, and Surjani are among the areas witnessing over 12 hours of loadshedding daily.
During today’s NA session Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Power Division Ali Pervaiz Malik apprised the legislative that K-Electric had achieved zero load shedding on 1,500 out of 2,109 feeders in Karachi.
The claim came in response to a Calling Attention Notice in the lower house of parliament, as the minister maintained that 6 to 10 hours of loadshedding was being conducted on the feeders with higher losses.
“The losses of ten feeders have exceeded 25% and the efforts are being made to reduce these losses with the help of local administration and public representatives,” Malik said.
He further clarified that there was “no loadshedding of 16 hours”, instead the duration for the blackouts was 6-10 hours.
At this, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Nabeel Gabol took an exception, saying that the minister of the state had been misinformed that the duration of loadshedding was 6-10 hours.
“My constituency in Lyari is facing 16-hour loadsheding,” he said, adding that the departments give false briefings to the ministers.
He challenged Malik that he would resign as a member of parliament if the loadshedding was 10 hours long or the federal minister should resign if the duration was more than 10 hours.
At this, Malik said that the electricity tariff was regulated by the National Electrical Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) following a prescribed procedure.
