Pakistan’s Power Assets at Risk of Being Stolen

Pakistan's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has triggered concern over the failure to identify and tag Rs.

Key points

• Overseas Pakistanis Send Home $3.89 Billion in October, Up 13.8% in a Year.
• Pakistan Seeks Full $1.7 Billion World Bank Loan Despite Violating Key Conditions.
• Under a pilot project, 10 transformers in each DISCO will receive APC meters by December, with the broader installation program projected to be completed by June 2027.
• While MNA Munaza Hassan pressed postponing privatization until the actual worth of the assets was established, committee member Chaudhry Naseer questioned the valuation of these properties.
• Tariq Fazal Chaudhry additionally proposed seeking a briefing from the Adviser on Privatization and summoning DISCO chief executives if necessary.

Pakistan's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has triggered concern over the failure to identify and tag Rs. 624 billion worth of assets belonging to power distribution firms (DISCOs), warning that incomplete records and valuations could expose public property to theft and undermine the planned privatization process.

During a committee session, audit office-holders stressed that DISCO assets must be properly identified and valued before privatization to ensure transparency and prevent the administration from selling public assets below their actual market worth.

For context, the Auditor General of Pakistan additionally cautioned that proceeding without certified valuations could result in DISCOs being sold using outdated figures from the previous financial year.

Overseas Pakistanis Send Home $3.89 Billion in October, Up 13.8% in a Year. PAC Demands Certified Valuation Of Power Assets.

While DISCOs had hired a private firm to undertake asset tagging, power Division authorities informed the committee that 40 percent of the asset valuation exercise had been completed. Authorities additionally disclos.

D that the value of land owned by the distribution firms runs into trillions of rupees.

While MNA Munaza Hassan pressed postponing privatization until the actual worth of the assets was established, committee member Chaudhry Naseer questioned the valuation of these properties. Senator Afnanullah, nevertheless, clarified that DISCO owned land would not be sold as part of the privatization process but would instead be leased. According to Authorities additionally, quetta Electric Supply Firm and Tribal Electric Supply Business were excluded from the privatization plan.

In practice, the PAC directed the Power Division to submit certified valuations of DISCO assets within three months, alongside a comprehensive plan explaining the future of the firms' employees. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry additionally proposed seeking a briefing from the Adviser on Privatization and summoning DISCO chief executives if necessary.

Pakistan Seeks Full $1.7 Billion World Bank Loan Despite Violating Key Conditions. Power Sector Intends Transformer-Level Monitoring.

Separately, the committee was briefed on intends to digitize the power sector and improve electricity recovery. Under the proposed system, electricity connections belonging to defaulters will be disconnected at the transformer level rather than shutting down entire feeders, allowing authorities to target unpaid connections more precisely.

Power Division authorities stated APC meters would be installed on transformers to monitor electricity consumption and identify defaulters.

Under a pilot project, 10 transformers in each DISCO will receive APC meters by December, with the broader installation program projected to be completed by June 2027. PAC Questions Planning Of Major Hydropower Projects.

Notably, the committee additionally examined difficulties affecting major hydropower infrastructure, including the closure of the Neelum-Jhelum project and documented damage to the tunnel at Tarbela-V. Govt Approves Significant Board Appointments for 3 Businesses.

Senator Afnanullah questioned the planning and design of major projects, asking who would be held accountable if infrastructure suffered damage since of faulty designs.

He additionally triggered concern over reports of water entering the Tarbela power house and the collapse of its tunnel, questioning the financial losses and accountability surrounding major hydropower investments. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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In short, pakistan's Power Assets at Risk of Being Stolen is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.