KARACHI: Speakers at a multi-stakeholder conference on Monday called on the government to urgently address prolonged electricity outages, rising power tariffs and weak energy infrastructure, warning that the worsening energy crisis is pushing industries towards shutdown and deepening financial hardship for households.
The concerns were raised at a conference titled “Energy Security in a Post Iran–USA War Context”, organised by The Knowledge Forum (TKF), where participants highlighted the combined impact of rising fuel prices, mounting capacity payments and inadequate transmission systems on both consumers and businesses.
They said the ongoing summer heatwave has further intensified the burden on households and industries already struggling with high electricity costs and unreliable supply. Participants stressed the need for urgent reforms, increased investment in renewable energy and stronger consumer protection mechanisms.
Sindh Assembly members, including Standing Committee on Energy Chairperson Rehan Bandukda along with MPAs Farah Sohail and Dr Fouzia Hameed, attended the event and assured participants that issues related to loadshedding, electricity pricing and industrial decline would be raised in the provincial assembly.
Industrial representatives said rising tariffs and inconsistent supply had led to a surge in solar energy adoption across industrial zones, as businesses attempt to reduce dependency on the national grid.
Korangi Association of Industries representative Talha Ali said industries were often excluded from key power-sector decisions, adding that escalating input costs were undermining export competitiveness.
Speaking at the event, Rehan Bandukda said Karachi continues to face high electricity costs despite relatively lower consumption compared to available generation capacity. He noted that laws exist to regulate excessive loadshedding by K-Electric, but weak enforcement remains a major challenge. He called for collective efforts to reduce tariffs and ensure uninterrupted supply.
Farah Sohail highlighted the disproportionate impact of power outages on women and criticised the lack of female representation in energy policymaking bodies. She said citizens and civil society were “struggling for their rights” amid governance gaps in the energy sector.
SME sector representative Syed Ijlal Haider said textile businesses were increasingly shifting towards solar energy to stay competitive in export markets and urged the introduction of peer-to-peer electricity trading systems to support low-cost energy access for industries.
Farhat Parveen of NOW Communities said rising electricity bills were severely affecting working-class families, with many struggling to afford education and basic household expenses.
Employers Federation of Pakistan representative Nazar Ali termed the crisis a policy failure, stating that small and medium-sized enterprises—forming nearly 90% of Pakistan’s industrial base—were among the hardest hit due to a lack of supportive energy policies.
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum General Secretary Saeed Baloch said some labourers were receiving electricity bills exceeding their monthly income, forcing many towards unsafe or illegal power connections.
Urban Resource Centre representative Zahid Farooque said many areas of Karachi continue to experience up to 16 hours of loadshedding despite regular bill payments, adding that energy shortages have driven low-income communities toward “kunda” connections for survival.
Officials from the Sindh Energy Department informed the participants that wind power projects with a combined capacity of 1,845 megawatts have been installed in Thatta district, while solar initiatives and household-level solar surveys are ongoing across several districts in Sindh.
Representatives of the Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC) acknowledged inefficiencies in the transmission system, noting that significant losses occur before electricity reaches end consumers.
TKF Director Zeenia Shaukat said climate change poses a major threat to energy security and stressed the need to accelerate Pakistan’s transition toward clean and renewable energy sources. She said the conference aimed to assess energy challenges ahead of the federal budget and explore practical pathways for sustainable energy reforms.
