Unjust outages

Across Pakistan, honest electricity consumers are suffering alongside defaulters — and the system seems to treat them all the same. In Korangi and North Karachi, even those who regularly pay their bills face over 14 hours of loadshedding. K-Electric, instead of targeting those engaging in theft, imposes area-wide outages, leaving no incentive for honest citizens to comply. This practice is not limited to Karachi and KE. Similar patterns are emerging across the country. The absence of smart metering, transformer-level audits and targeted action has created an environment of frustration and injustice.

While energy officials blame the circular debt and fuel shortages, the truth is that inefficiency, weak governance and poor planning are equally to blame. Consumers who follow the law should not carry the burden of those who do not. I urge the utilities companies and energy authorities to install smart meters in high-loss areas, publicly report theft and compliance stats and introduce relief measures for consistent payers. Rebuilding public trust in the energy system starts with fairness.

Shafaq Kazmi

Karachi