LAHORE: LESCO has announced that uninterrupted electricity will be provided during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays across all areas under its jurisdiction.
According to LESCO officials, special arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted power supply during the Eid days. All relevant staff have been instructed to remain on duty. Line staff and teams at complaint centers will be available throughout the holidays to handle any emergencies.
LESCO has also arranged extra transformer trolleys in case of faults or breakdowns. Even in case of a heatwave, staff will remain on standby to ensure a quick response.
Recovery-based load shedding under review by federal government
The federal government is actively reviewing the policy of recovery-based load shedding as part of a wider effort to reform the power sector. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has officially asked the Power Division to provide an update on its proposed policy aimed at legalizing recovery-based and loss-based load shedding, a practice that is currently not permitted under existing regulations.
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At present, Nepra (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) continues to impose penalties on distribution companies (Discos) and K-Electric for carrying out load shedding in low-recovery areas, which is not legally permitted.
The proposed changes are part of a broader power sector reform agenda directed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had chaired several meetings in April 2024. The Power Division has since prepared a proposal titled “Amendments in Legal Framework to Implement Economic Load Management in the Country.”
The policy would allow recovery-based and loss-based load shedding to be implemented legally, with a structured framework. A high-level committee involving PPIB, CPPA, the Law Division, Nepra, and legal experts is working on the proposal.
However, the Ministry of Finance has raised concerns, arguing that while the plan might reduce costs in some areas, the government still has to pay for unused electricity. They have also pointed out that the draft lacks solid data and called for a detailed economic analysis before moving forward.
Nepra is also reportedly opposing the changes, raising questions about the policy’s long-term economic and legal sustainability.
