KCCI President Talat Mahmood warns that prolonged outages, reportedly reaching 14 hours in some areas, are threatening industrial output, exports and livelihoods.
KARACHI: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has strongly criticised K-Electric (KE) over prolonged and increasingly widespread power outages across Karachi, warning that persistent load-shedding is damaging industrial productivity, commercial activities, employment and the daily lives of millions of residents.
KCCI President Talat Mahmood condemned the extension of load-shedding to areas previously exempt from scheduled power cuts, expressing concern that Pakistan’s principal commercial and industrial hub continued to face an unreliable electricity supply despite its significant contribution to the national economy and exchequer.
“Karachi cannot be expected to drive Pakistan’s economy while its industries, businesses and households are repeatedly plunged into darkness. Electricity is an essential service, not a privilege,” he said, demanding that K-Electric explain the reasons for the crisis and outline concrete measures to resolve it permanently.
Referring to media reports of up to 14 hours of daily load-shedding in certain localities, alongside additional outages in areas previously exempt from scheduled cuts, Mahmood said the situation had exceeded the limits of public tolerance.
He stressed that electricity disruptions were not merely an inconvenience but a direct obstacle to economic activity, industrial competitiveness and Pakistan’s export performance.
Power outages increase industrial costs
Mahmood pointed out that Karachi’s industries were already facing high energy costs, rising production expenses and intense competition in international markets. Additional power outages were further increasing operating costs, disrupting production schedules, affecting machinery-dependent processes, delaying deliveries and putting export commitments at risk.
“Every hour of load-shedding means lost production, wasted resources, additional costs and mounting uncertainty for businesses,” he said, adding that exporters could not reliably fulfil international orders and manufacturers could not maintain productivity when production lines were repeatedly interrupted.
He warned that the resulting financial burden ultimately fell on businesses, workers, consumers and the wider national economy.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were particularly vulnerable because many could not afford expensive alternative power arrangements. Prolonged outages were also affecting shops, markets, offices, service providers and daily-wage workers whose livelihoods depended on uninterrupted commercial activity.
KCCI questions load-management measures
Acknowledging K-Electric’s attribution of the latest load-management measures to nationwide re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) supply constraints and international supply disruptions, the KCCI president said such challenges could not justify transferring the entire burden to consumers without transparent explanations and effective contingency planning.
Mahmood said fuel supply constraints could create genuine difficulties for electricity generation, but these circumstances made contingency planning, transparent communication and efficient utilisation of available resources even more important.
He maintained that consumers should not be expected to bear the consequences of supply-side difficulties through prolonged power cuts without clear timelines or a credible plan for relief.
The KCCI president called on K-Electric to immediately review its load-management arrangements, maximise the utilisation of available generation capacity and electricity supplies, coordinate effectively with relevant federal authorities, and take all possible measures to restore normal supply as soon as possible.
KCCI urges government intervention
Mahmood also urged the federal and provincial governments, the Ministry of Energy and relevant regulatory authorities to intervene urgently, assess the actual causes and extent of the electricity crisis, and ensure that the shortfall was managed through a transparent, equitable and time-bound mechanism.
He reiterated that the KCCI would continue to raise the business community’s concerns at relevant forums and pursue practical measures to secure reliable and affordable electricity for Karachi’s industries, commercial establishments and residents.