Sindh High Court directs NEPRA to conduct survey of K-Electric infrastructure
The Sindh High Court has directed NEPRA to carry out a technical survey of K-Electric’s infrastructure in light of the ongoing power crisis in Karachi. The directive came during a hearing on a petition challenging the persistent and unannounced load-shedding across the city.
In its defense, K-Electric Karachi’s sole power distributor claimed that 70 percent of its network is exempt from load-shedding, attributing outages in specific areas to electricity theft and technical faults.
The company highlighted its post-privatisation investment of over $4 billion, which, according to the utility, has reduced distribution losses by 50 percent and expanded its customer base.
During the hearing, the court raised concerns over the KE infrastructure and power outages, especially in areas where residents are regularly paying bills on time.
Justice Faisal Kamal Alam asked about the efficiency of K-Electric’s infrastructure upgrades and NEPRA’s supervision.
In response, the legal team of NEPRA said that a Rs. 20 million fine had been imposed on K-Electric, which was dismissed by the court, terming its impact as negligible.
According to K-Electric’s spokesperson, the company is ready to cooperate with NEPRA’s technical team, stating, “KE has received the court’s order and we will be available for any technical surveys.”
The utility also repeated its goal to make 90 percent to 95 percent of its network load-shedding-free shortly.
The next hearing is planned for August 12, with NEPRA expected to give a presentation of its findings.
The situation has grabbed people’s attention because of increasing temperatures and growing anger over long power cuts, with some places experiencing up to 18 hours without electricity each day.
The direction for a NEPRA survey of KE’s infrastructure is seen as a major step toward clarity and accountability in Karachi’s energy sector.
As the city grapples with power cuts, stakeholders await concrete outcomes from the court’s intervention.
