Political will vital for power sector revival: Dastgir

ISLAMABAD: According to Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan, the political will, parliamentary  support, and strong disciplinary action against the corrupt mafia within power distribution corporations  are all necessary to put the power industry on the correct track. In response to a question from Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the minister emphasised that the new  government would face a significant challenge in reviving the power sector, emphasising that it could  only be achieved through political will and support from the Parliament as reliance on political backing   alone would not be sufficient. This was said during question period in the Senate on Thursday. The minister emphasised that locations where the state’s authority was not fully established had a  limited recovery of electricity bills, which raised questions about general governance.

Additionally, he highlighted that the significant line losses were putting a substantial burden on the country’s economy.

In response to Kauda Babar’s question, the minister confirmed the successful installation of transmission lines connecting Bolan to Jewani, facilitating the connection between Iran and Gawadar. Additionally, the Bisma-Khuzdar transmission lines have been fully completed, he told.

Concerning the measures taken against corrupt individuals, the minister announced that 124 officials from Multan Electric Company (MEFCO) and 118 officials from Lahore Electric Company (LESCO) were facing punitive action for various charges related to their involvement in power theft and other misconduct.