ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali has announced that the government will not extend the current power purchase agreement with K-Electric as the prime minister has called for a review of the arrangement and engaging in consultations with the Sindh government.
Talking to media after inaugurating a 132-kilovolt grid station of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company in the F-16 sector, Ali ruled out granting any extension to the 650-megawatt supply agreement with K-Electric.
“Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif will give a policy statement in this regard in the National Assembly,” he announced.
Claiming that K-Electric had failed to honour the promise of increased power generation, Ali said the company did not protect public interest. “We have to take care of the interest of consumers not that of K-Electric.”
He pointed out that if the government went for a fresh agreement, then it would feature new conditions. K-Electric owed Rs100 billion to different government institutions and organisations, he said.
Regarding a stay order got by K-Electric for power purchase, Ali said the government would soon approach the Supreme Court to get the order vacated.
The Ministry of Water and Power and the Sindh government were at loggerheads over the power purchase agreement with K-Electric, which would expire on January 26. The ministry is opposed to any extension while the province insists on continuing supplies to Karachi in the larger public interest.
He claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan paid power bills only to get rid of the noise of diesel generator.
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