President's presence in Karachi: drastic cut in load shedding by KESC raises eyebrows

Eyebrows were raised when the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), despite its persistent hue and cry about the electricity shortage, made a drastic reduction in load shedding during last few days due to, what the sources said, the presence of President Asif Ali Zardari in the city.
Many, particularly the citizen of this power shortage-hit megapolis, wondered when they witnessed nominal electricity outages in the city where the duration of load shedding had reached to an unprecedented 18 hours just three days ago. According to KESC sources, Bin Qasim Thermal Power Plants (BQTPP), which normally generate 600 to 700 MW electricity, was generating almost 1105 MW, running with all its six units in operation during last two days.
The company has also started getting full supply from two Independent Power Producers (IPPs) from which KESC was deliberately getting only 50 percent of power supply. The immediate steps taken by the company had reduced the power outages in the city to almost two hours.
Talking to Business Recorder, Lateef Mughal General Secretary of Peoples Workers Union (PWU) of KESC said that the management of the company was deliberately cutting power generation to save money which was proved in the last few days. He alleged that this step was taken by the management to only convince the president, in his presence in the metropolis, that it was currently improving the company's generation.
"As soon as the president will leave the city it will come to the previous state of hours' long power outages," he said adding that the situation was not likely to be changed as the private management had failed to invest in the company since its privatisation. However, Muhammad Raza, a resident of Korangi said that the area was still facing load shedding.
"Until and unless the company is not nationalisation nothing will be changed under the control of foreign companies," Shahid Ali, a businessman, said adding that the federal government should immediately intervene in the matter to solve the issue.
He said the current electricity crisis has reduced the power-dependent trade and commercial activities to only 20 percent in the revenue hub of the country. When contacted Sadique Jafari, one of the official spokesmen of KESC, he was found unaware of the current power supply position, while Faraz Ahmed was not available for comments.