KARACHI, Dec 2: Karachi Electric Supply Company has strongly rejected and challenged the statement of Abid Sher Ali in which he baselessly accused the power utility of receiving more electricity from national grid. For the past several months, the Minister of State for Water and Power had been trying to attract media attention by repeating such unsubstantiated charges which he has not supported through any evidence so far, KESC stated.
KESC said that being a Minister of State, Mr. Abid needed to demonstrate better sense of responsibility than throwing careless remarks around. KESC had always requested the Minister to bring on proof and evidence before putting up such allegations which could harm the credibility of the power utility in the eyes of its stakeholders. However, the Minister had not been able to resist his urge to attract media attention in newspapers and television channels.
KESC once again made it clear that the company has a power purchase agreement with NTDC for buying 650 megawatts and according to NTDC’s own bills, KESC had purchased 632 megawatts in June 2013, 618 MWs in July, 608 MWs in August, 637 MWs in September and 626 MWs in October this year. However, the Minister had perhaps found it easy to appear before cameras by spreading negative propaganda against the only private power utility company.
KESC further said that its performance over the past more than four years had been appreciated by institutions like International Finance Corporation, Asian Development Bank and State Bank of Pakistan. Moreover, the present government had also been adopting KESC’s policies on countrywide basis which is also an evidence of good performance of the company. However, the Minister had been going against his own government’s policies by uselessly criticizing the power utility for no reason. KESC urged upon the government to take notice of the Minister’s irresponsible statements which could cause problems in the way of the much needed privatization and foreign investment in the country.
Reacting to the Minister’s assertion that he would take KESC to court, the KESC spokesman clarified that two cases were already pending before the Honourable High Court of Sindh in which the Honourable Court had ordered maintenance of status quo in respect of provision of 650 MW power to KESC from the national grid. In these circumstances, KESC was at a loss to understand why the Minister was making idle threats when this issue was already sub-judice before the relevant court.