National Assembly takes up Karachi load-shedding as Bilawal faults federal government
MQM-P's Aminul Haq called K-Electric a mafia over overbilling and night-time outages, and the deputy speaker sent the matter to the energy standing committee.
ISLAMABAD: Unannounced load-shedding in Karachi and the performance of its private power utility, K-Electric, came under scrutiny in the National Assembly, where an MQM-P lawmaker moved an adjournment notice and the PPP chairman accused the federal government of neglecting the city.
Syed Aminul Haq of MQM-Pakistan told the house, chaired by Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, that K-Electric is among the companies the public views with hatred and is "working as a mafia". He said the utility earns billions of rupees through overbilling and asked what it had done for power generation in Karachi, adding that load-shedding is carried out even at night.
Parliamentary Secretary for Energy Aamir Talal Khan said in reply that load-shedding is unavoidable in some cases and that outages sometimes increase while repair work is under way. Under NEPRA rules there should be no load-shedding at night and the matter would be looked into if that was happening, he said, adding that industrial feeders face no load-shedding. Deputy Speaker Shah referred the issue to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in comments reported by UrduPoint, said the federal government needs to focus on Karachi and takes no interest in the city, and that federal and provincial institutions working together could serve the people. Express News reported that he described the power crisis as worsening and said federal government representatives had done "not a penny's worth" of work in Karachi.
The same sitting passed a resolution expressing solidarity with Kashmiris on 27 October, observed as Black Day, moved by Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam and Kashmir Committee Chairman Qasim Noon. Muqam said India had oppressed Kashmiris for nearly 80 years, that thousands had been killed and about 7,000 Kashmiris had died in prisons, and that Kashmiris had not retreated an inch from their position. A solidarity event in Islamabad was attended by thousands of civil society members and students, he said.
PTI MNA Shandana Gulzar also introduced the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill, 2024. The law minister opposed it, saying a track-and-trace system for rape cases already exists in the National Police Bureau, and the bill was sent to a standing committee. The session was adjourned until 11am the next day.
Sindh High Court gives lawyers seven days to remove official symbols from cars
Vehicles still carrying green plates, blue lights, flashers or fake government number plates will be refused entry to the high court, the City Court and district courts.
Court grants bail to Iqrarul Hassan in cybercrime case
A Karachi court ordered his release on Rs200,000 surety bonds, three weeks after the NCCIA arrested him over posts on X, Instagram and Facebook.
World Bank approves $150m for Sindh property tax and municipal services
The Sindh Property Revenues Enhancement Program will back urban immovable property tax collection and the service delivery capacity of selected local councils, Karachi foremost.
Sindh forms committee to review local bodies and audit budgets
The panel, chaired by local government minister Nasir Hussain Shah, will examine illegal recruitment and budget irregularities from union councils up to district councils.