ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has reportedly dismissed proposed amendments to the NEPRA Act aimed at implementing economic load management, asserting that these changes would contravene existing laws and consumer rights. Sources indicate that the Power Division had submitted a summary seeking specific modifications to the NEPRA Act, including:
Defining “load shedding” within the Act as the planned reduction of consumer load due to technical, commercial, or economic factors, with NEPRA’s approval.
Allowing the federal government to issue policy guidelines on load shedding due to economic constraints, with principles of equality and non-discrimination among consumers.
NEPRA emphasized that Pakistan’s current generation capacity is adequate to meet demand and cited the National Electricity Policy 2021’s goal of eliminating load shedding, especially for bill-paying rural consumers. Additionally, the Supreme Court has underscored electricity as a fundamental right under Article 9 of the Constitution.
NEPRA further argued that section 23F (2)(b) of the Act mandates non-discriminatory power supply to all eligible consumers, with limited exceptions. The regulator warned that economic load shedding could incite public backlash and suggested the amendments be debated in Parliament.
While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) supports energy sector reforms, including reducing distribution inefficiencies and restructuring capacity payments, NEPRA maintains that the current proposal could undermine these reform efforts.
Story by Mushtaq Ghumman
