KARACHI: The Special Parliamentary Committee of the Sindh Assembly formed to probe prolonged loadshedding in the province expelled K-Electric’s (KE) representatives from its meeting on Tuesday after the power utility chief executive officer (CEO) failed to appear despite being summoned.

The special committee, constituted following the ruling of the speaker on a resolution moved in 2024 regarding unannounced power outages, met at the Sindh Assembly building under the chairmanship of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Fayyaz Butt.

The committee had summoned the CEOs of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) and KE. While the Hesco and Sepco chiefs turned up, the CEO of KE chose not to come and sent a two-member team headed by the KE distribution head.

His absence drew sharp criticism from both treasury and opposition members, with the committee chairman saying that the body would now hold one final meeting with the CEOs, and if no results emerged, it would recommend the maximum punishment under the law.

While CEOs of Hesco and Sepco appear before special parliamentary body, KE chief skips hearing despite being summoned

The KE distribution head offered an apology on behalf of the CEO, stating that no one else held the CEO’s powers and that they had come to find a solution.

The chairman, expressing dissatisfaction, expelled the KE team from the meeting.

The committee chairman said that the entire population was suffering due to loadshedding. “The CEO of K-Electric did not come. We were not satisfied with the two representatives who came. We expelled them. We will take action through the Privileges Committee. If the law provides for arrest, we will arrest them,” he warned.

Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi lashed out at the power utilities, calling them a mafia. He proposed that the next meeting be held in front of the KE head office in a tent erected by KE itself, in the presence of the public.

Sindh Government Spokesperson Sadia Javed told reporters that the KE distribution officer who appeared did not even know what the electricity demand was. “We will demand from the Speaker that the officer who came be arrested,” she added.

Ms Javed said that a letter had come from the CEO of KE that he would be represented, but his representative could not answer any of the committee’s questions. “Notices will be sent by the assembly through the privileges committee,” she said.

MPAs question Nepra’s failure to enforce orders

Later, the chairman and some committee members spoke to the media and expressed grave concern over the power distribution companies’ (Discos) lethargic attitude towards improving their performance.

Taking exception to the performance of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), the committee chairman asked why, if the regulator could not enforce its own orders, it did not cancel the Discos’ licences.

During the meeting, the chairman told Nepra officials that they had come unprepared. “I will write to the federal government that Nepra itself says it has no powers,” he remarked.

PPP MPA Sadia Javed questioned the utility of the proceedings of the committee if the power utilities simply refused to implement its decisions. “They listen from one ear and take it out through the other,” she said.

Committee Secretary Syed Hassan Shah briefed the meeting that the PA body had its own privilege, and under the law, a sentence of six months’ imprisonment could be awarded for breach of privilege.

PPP lawmaker Yousuf Baloch revealed that a meter had been shown as installed in his name in official records six years before he was born. “If a fake bill can be made in the name of a sitting MPA, imagine what is being done to the common citizen,” he said.

MPA Saleem Baloch, special assistant to the chief minister, said that it should be recorded in the meeting minutes that Nepra was helpless and could not control KE, Hesco and Sepco. “Feeder and PMT shutdown will not be tolerated under any circumstances. I pay my bills; it is your job to stop theft. According to Nepra itself, load-shedding is illegal,” he said.

PPP MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio demanded that privilege notices be issued against KE representatives for wasting three hours of the MPAs’ time.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2026