- K-Electric and Sui Southern Gas Company have blamed each other for load shedding in Karachi
- Karachi has faced prolonged load shedding for the last few weeks as summer and Ramadan draw near
KARACHI: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi announced on Monday good news for those living in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi. The city has experienced power outages of up to 12 hours over the last few weeks.
The crisis worsened when the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGL) stopped supplying the minimum required gas of 190 mmcfd to the power company, K-Electric, because of a row over outstanding charges.
In the blame game between the two utility companies, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had warned that if the federal government failed to resolve the differences between K-Electric and the SSGL, a law and order situation might develop in Karachi.
Addressing a news conference today at Sindh’s Government House after presiding over a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy, Abbasi told reporters that the current crisis would end as SSGCL will begin providing the 190 mmcfd to K-Electric.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi addressing a news conference at Sindh Governor House Karachi on Monday, April 23, 2018. (AN photo)
While ruling out any chance of taking back K-Electric from the private party, Abbasi said Finance Adviser Miftah Ismail, who was standing by his side, would revolve the payment issue within the next 15 days.
“Complete load shedding will end with 100 percent payments of bills by costumers,” the prime minister clarified.
“Things are getting worse and may create a law and order situation in the city where peace has now been restored after making many sacrifices and doing a lot of hard work,” the chief minister told Arab News on Saturday.