Federal, provincial governments blaming each other & Karachi suffers power crisis

Pakistan's commercial hub Karachi has been facing acute and recurring power shortages for a couple of weeks and instead of finding a solution, the federal and provincial governments are busy in the blame game.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif visited Karachi on Sunday and said K-Electric was mainly responsible for the power crisis in the megacity of Karachi.

Earlier, Minister for Power Division Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, in a letter sent to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday, blamed K-Electric and one of the provincial departments, which had defaulted on energy payments, for triggering the electricity crisis in Karachi.

The Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has taken the notice of power outages in Karachi and convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy on April 23 (Monday).

Severe load-shedding of up to 12 hours has plagued Karachi, with the worst burden falling on blocks 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Federal B Area, C-1, C and number 10 localities of Liaquatabad, Lyari, Orangi Town, Korangi, Safoora Goth, Scheme 33, Abul Hasan Isphani Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Model Colony, New Karachi, North Karachi and several other areas.

The K-Electric is being held responsible for power breakdowns. The K-Electric, in turn, has claimed that the reduced generation of electricity is due to Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) curbing its gas supplies.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the federal government is responsible for resolving the power crisis in Karachi as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) privatized the K-Electric.

Speaking to reporters in Multan on Sunday, the PPP chairman said the power distribution company in Karachi was not only depriving the citizens of electricity but also over-charging them.