Karachi 12th December 2013: The Karachi Electric Supply Company has once again termed the state minister for water and power, Abid Sher Ali’s allegations as baseless. In a press statement released today, KESC said that the minister should first obtained the required proof before making preposterous claims and negatively affecting the company’s good image.
The minister threatened to push the courts against KESC to which the press statement added, that the honorable courts are upholders of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 and do not take dictation from the executive or political arm of the government.
Spokesman for KESC said that the issue of taking 650 MW from the NTDC is already with the honorable High Court of Sindh in two cases where all parties have been ordered to maintain status quo, to which the Federation of Pakistan, Province of Sindh, KESC, NTDC and NEPRA are all co-respondents. The state minister has still not come up with any proof regarding Karachi taking additional electricity from the NTDC when the monthly bills of NTDC have all been within the prescribed limits.
KESC has once again clarified that since 2008, the company has paid Rs.248 billion against electricity worth Rs.237 billion, to the NTDC. If KESC has been taking more than 650MW then the minister should prove it. KESC had previously invited the state minister so that he could check the bills and see for himself whether KESC had been taking extra electricity from the NTDC or not, but the minister had avoided this invitation. KESC has categorically denied and expressed its concern at the ridiculous nature of the Minister’s claims, which has a negative impact on the prospects of foreign direct and indirect investment in Pakistan in the energy and other sectors. Till date, KESC is owed over Rs. 25 Billion from the Federal Government in relation to outstanding bills of strategic customers such as KWSB, Province of Sindh etc. under which KESC is prevented from interrupting power supply in return for the Government’s commitment to pay such bills. On a daily basis KESC is incurring a loss of Rs. 2 Billion from KWSB alone due to continued non-payment of bills, but the Minister of State remains silent on this. KESC question why the Minister of State wanted to plunge Karachi into darkness and worsen the law and order situation so as to isolate Karachi from the national grid and the rest of Pakistan.
Claims that KESC owes Rs.100 billion to the Federal Government were also termed as false, as the Federal Government owes Rs.82 billion to the power company, which is connected to the financial hub of Pakistan.
The press statement also added that the minister should stop pointing fingers at Karachi, as the situation here is far better than other cities and government owned distribution companies. The circular debt situation has built itself up again, whereas even when the previous debt was cleared by the Government, Karachi did not get a single penny which shows that Karachi is being targeted by the State minister which is uncalled for, as Karachi is the backbone of this country and generates the most tax collection which funds the spending of the Government of Pakistan.
The statement said that KESC is being audited by world renowned companies and had there been any ‘unlawful’ activity, it would have been pointed out much earlier before the induction of the State Minister in the Government in the recent past. The state minister, instead of making the power crisis situation better, is only eyeing an electricity cut for Karachi. KESC has once again made it clear that 650 MW from the NTDC, is a mere 6% of the total generation of this country, and that is the basic right of Karachi and its adjoining areas which collects the most revenue for the betterment of this country.