KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has strongly criticized both NEPRA and K-Electric over prolonged and unannounced load shedding in Karachi.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which raised concerns about daily power outages lasting up to 18 hours in some parts of the city. Justice Faisal Kamal Alam presided over the hearing and questioned the effectiveness of K-Electric’s services since its privatization.
The bench demanded a thorough technical survey of K-Electric’s operations. NEPRA has been directed to deploy a team to assess the situation on the ground. The court expressed doubt about NEPRA’s capability to carry out such technical evaluations and asked if the authority had any qualified teams.
Justice Alam also asked NEPRA and K-Electric to explain what infrastructure improvements have been made. He remarked that even minor rainfall leads to power cuts lasting several hours, which indicates a lack of preparedness.
NEPRA’s lawyer informed the court that the regulatory body had issued show-cause notices to K-Electric and recently imposed a Rs. 20 million fine. However, the court dismissed the impact of such penalties, asking whether these actions had improved the situation for Karachi’s residents.
The court was particularly dissatisfied with NEPRA’s response, especially when its lawyer said the authority acts “within its limits.” The judge insisted that stronger action is needed to bring relief to citizens.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s petition stressed the negative effects of unannounced outages on homes and businesses. It argued that K-Electric has failed to provide reliable electricity despite being a privatized utility.
Earlier, the Sindh High Court had issued notices to K-Electric and other parties over the practice of load shedding based on line losses.
The issue of K-Electric load shedding and NEPRA’s oversight continues to fuel public frustration in Karachi, with the court now demanding clear accountability and progress.
Read the full report on NEPRA’s nationwide power rate cut and Karachi’s Rs4.03 relief per unit.
