JI rejects NEPRA decision on K-Electric tariff as anti-Karachi

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief, Munim Zafar Khan, has rejected the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (NEPRA) recent decision to increase K-Electric’s tariff, describing it as “anti-Karachi,” ARY News reported on Thursday.

In a letter addressed to the NEPRA chairman, Munim Zafar Khan condemned the move to pass K-Electric’s recovery losses onto consumers, calling the decision “unjust and unacceptable.”

“It is outrageous to burden honest consumers with the losses caused by K-Electric’s inefficiencies,” he wrote. “We categorically reject this anti-Karachi decision.”

Munim Zafar also accused NEPRA of a double standard, noting that while the average electricity rate in the rest of the country is around Rs35 per unit, Karachi residents are paying up to Rs40 per unit. “This discriminatory pricing reflects NEPRA’s clear bias against the people of Karachi,” he stated.

He further criticized K-Electric for failing to provide uninterrupted power supply and blamed NEPRA for not fulfilling its constitutional duty to safeguard the rights of Karachi’s consumers.

Highlighting the ongoing issue of severe power outages amid intense heat, the JI Karachi chief condemned both NEPRA and the federal government for what he called their “criminal silence” on the issue.

Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Leghari has said that the government is filing a review petition in NEPRA’s recent verdict K-Electric’s tariff.

“A review petition has been under preparation,” talking to media persons, energy minister said on Thursday.

“We are working to avoid adverse effect on the government and consumers,” minister said. “We will go to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to get appropriate power price for consumers,” Leghari said.

“Hopefully the NEPRA will will give decisions for the benefit of the country and the consumers,” he said.

Energy minister said that the net-metering policy has been reviewed again. “The stakeholders have been consulted over the policy,” he said. “If the policy is approved it will come into force within one month,” minister said.

Minister said that a new tariff policy is expected to be announced soon by the prime minister to make industries more competitive.