Senator Mian Raza Rabbani criticized power distribution companies (Discos) on Tuesday, accusing them of engaging in severe malpractices, including overcharging consumers by up to 100%, as revealed in an inquiry report.
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) initiated legal action against K-Electric (KE) and other power-providing companies on Monday after discovering evidence of excessive overbilling affecting millions of consumers.
In a statement, Rabbani, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), described the Nepra inquiry findings as the “mother of all scams,” condemning power firms for allegedly inflating bills and “skinning alive” users. He insisted that such acts amounted to criminal activity and called for action against the Discos responsible for exploiting consumers.
The report raised concerns about the integrity of Discos’ entire revenue stream, encompassing meter readings, billing, and penalties. Rabbani highlighted discrepancies between actual amounts charged and meter readings on bills, noting invisible or deliberately omitted snapshots in some cases.
Senator Rabbani urged immediate action against the Discos, advocating for the adjustment of overcharged amounts in consumers’ electricity bills and the inclusion of Discos’ chief executives’ names on the no-fly list. Furthermore, he called for the report to be presented before the Senate’s Committee of the Whole to determine appropriate actions against the alleged criminal activity.
In response to widespread complaints about excessive, inflated, and erroneous bills during July and August, Nepra constituted a committee to investigate the matter. The committee discovered overcharging issues affecting millions of consumers from various distribution companies, directing the Discos to take action against responsible officials for violating consumer service guidelines and submit a compliance report within 30 days.
