Karachi, January 15, 2025 – Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), has strongly condemned K-Electric (KE) for its recent intensification of load shedding, which is severely affecting both the residents and businesses of Karachi.
In a statement, Bilwani called on the federal government to intervene, as the ongoing power outages threaten to undermine all the efforts made by the government to provide relief through initiatives like the Sasti Bijli Sahulat package.
Bilwani expressed deep frustration over KE’s inefficiency, which he argued is depriving Karachi’s citizens and industries of the benefits intended by the Sasti Bijli Sahulat package, introduced to mitigate the rising cost of living and doing business. “While the package has provided relief for the rest of the country, Karachi is being denied these benefits due to KE’s heightened load shedding. The electricity tariff discounts, particularly for incremental consumption, are nullified by the frequent power cuts that disrupt power availability, especially during peak hours,” he said.
The KCCI President revealed that the Chamber had received hundreds of complaints from Karachi’s residents and businesses in response to its recent campaign to gather public input on the ongoing load shedding issues. “Our campaign has been inundated with responses from every corner of the city. People are suffering due to KE’s mismanagement, with outages lasting up to 12 hours in some areas,” Bilwani added. He pointed out a particularly troubling complaint from the Agro Processing Zone in Gadap, where businesses, despite paying their bills and having a dedicated self-financed feeder labeled “Agro Export Zone,” are facing 12 hours of daily load shedding. “Many of these export businesses, dealing with perishable goods, suffer significant losses due to these prolonged power cuts,” he noted.
Bilwani stressed that both the general public and the business community are expressing widespread dissatisfaction with KE’s services. Many are frustrated with the lack of accountability from the utility company, and some have accused the regulatory authorities of enabling KE to worsen the situation in pursuit of higher profits at the expense of Karachi’s citizens. “Small businesses, which form the backbone of Karachi’s economy, are the hardest hit. They were relying on the relief from the government’s package to manage rising operational costs, but KE’s failure has dashed their hopes and threatens their survival,” he added.
The KCCI President also highlighted the burden on households, which are now turning to expensive alternatives like generators and UPS systems to meet their electricity needs. “This situation completely negates any financial relief the Sasti Bijli Sahulat package could have offered,” Bilwani stated.
He urged the government to investigate why KE has failed to align its operations with the goals of the relief package and to ensure Karachi’s exclusion from national initiatives is addressed. Bilwani also called on KE to improve its services, warning that if corrective actions are not taken immediately, the KCCI would escalate the matter further to ensure that the voices of Karachi’s residents and business community are heard. “We demand that KE address the public grievances and refrain from carrying out additional load shedding,” he concluded.