ISLAMABAD: The federal government will hand over power distribution companies to provinces in two months, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.
PM Shehbaz made these remarks while meeting a delegation of PPP led by its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
The federal government has been trying to privatise or devolve to provinces the power distribution companies (Discos) that supply electricity to homes.
Most of these Discos are suffering heavy losses due to poor recovery and transmission issues.
The prime minister made a similar announcement last month when he said the electricity price will be reduced by curtailing losses of around Rs600bn each year due to electricity theft, opening up electricity market operations and either privatising power distribution companies or handing them over to the provinces.
Meets PPP delegation; cancels Malaysia visit amid tensions with India
An official press release issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO) after the meeting said the PM discussed the transfer of Discos with the PPP delegation.
“It was decided that within two months, the distribution companies will be handed over to the provinces,” the press release said.
The PPP delegation expressed confidence in the government’s reforms in the energy sector.
PM Shehbaz also said the federal government has started consultations with its allies, including the PPP, for the upcoming budget.
The federal budget is likely to be announced in the first week of June.
The PPP delegation presented their proposals regarding the budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026.
On the issue of tensions with India, both allies reiterated that the entire nation stood united with the armed forces against any aggression from the neighbouring country.
They emphasised the armed forces are “always ready to confront the enemy”.
According to the PMO, PM Shehbaz emphasised that while Pakistan desired peace and stability in the region, it possessed the capability to deliver a strong and effective response in defence of its sovereignty.
Describing India’s provocative behaviour following the Pahalgam incident as “deeply regrettable”, the prime minister said Pakistan not only expressed concern over the incident but also called for an impartial and independent investigation into the killing of 26 tourists.
He firmly rejected India’s baseless attempts to link Pakistan to the incident without any evidence.
The prime minister criticised India’s unilateral and illegal suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it an act of “water aggression” which was “unacceptable” and a “red line” for the people of Pakistan.
He said Pakistan was actively pursuing diplomatic efforts to expose Indian aggression and that he had met with ambassadors from several countries to present Pakistan’s perspective.
PM Shehbaz said Pakistan will also expose India’s “nefarious designs” at the UN Security Council.
The PPP delegation said all political parties stood united for the defence and security of Pakistan.
They reaffirmed their full support for Pakistan’s brave armed forces.
The delegation also appreciated the federal government’s diplomatic efforts to highlight India’s war-mongering intentions internationally.
The PPP delegation comprised Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla.
PM shelves visit
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz has postponed his official visit to Malaysia amid escalating tensions with India, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.
In a statement, the Malaysian PM said he has an “understanding of the difficult circumstances Pakistan is facing” in light of recent tensions following the attack in India-held Kashmir
He hoped the situation would de-escalate swiftly.
PM Shehbaz was scheduled to arrive in Malaysia on Friday.
The PMO said the two sides spoke on Sunday night and that he “conveyed that he looked forward to paying an official visit to Malaysia later this year”.
Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2025
