Sindh minister asks KE not to cut power supply from 10pm to 6am

The Government of Sindh assures that it will settle its due payments to KE.

KARACHI – As Karachi residents continue to suffer extreme heat, exacerbated by constant power outages, the Sindh government has ordered K-Electric (KE), the city’s main power utility, to forgo night-time power cuts in the country’s financial capital.

Sindh’s Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah and Minister for Local Administration Saeed Ghani asked the city’s power utility not to disrupt electricity supply in the metropolis between 10pm and 6am under any circumstances. The ministers’ comments came as the city continued to be hit by extreme weather conditions in recent days, resulting in scorching temperatures. The thermometer even reached 42°C, while earlier this week it “felt” above 50°C.

The situation was aggravated by ongoing power outages in various areas of the megalopolis.

The day before, citizens had taken to the streets to protest against hours-long power outages and water shortages that made their lives unbearable.

The demonstrations took place at various locations including Punjab Chowrangi, Liaquatabad No. 10, Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, Gulshan-e-Hadeed and others.

On Thursday, the city experienced light rain with gusty winds, providing some relief to residents.

The rain-affected areas included Surjani Town, Gulshan e Maymar, Malir, North Karachi, Water Pump, II Chundrigar Road, Garden, Gulshan e Iqbal, FB Area and adjoining localities.

Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz on Saturday said there was no chance of rain in Karachi, but drizzle was expected in some areas today. The weather is expected to remain partly cloudy today, while the city’s beneficial sea breeze will continue to be absent due to low air pressure in the Arabian Sea, the official added.

The ministers, meanwhile, stressed that the masses should not be punished for the crimes of the power thieves; rather, they should be punished with harsh action by the authorities. Meanwhile, the Sindh government has also assured that it will clear its debts to the KE.

The reassurance comes while the power utility is facing significant problems in maintaining uninterrupted power supply as it still owes about Rs 10.5 billion to the Sindh government, according to The News. A day earlier, Shah had also asked the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) at a press conference to refrain from causing power outages during the above-mentioned times. The minister disclosed that a recent meeting between KE, Hesco and Sepco had resulted in mandatory measures to curb power outages both during the day and night, and stressed that any planned power cut must be communicated to the public well in advance.

Earlier this week, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar had even threatened to file a murder complaint against KE if the power cut was found to be the reason for the mysterious deaths reported in the metropolis in recent days.