Amid Power Crisis, Pakistan Ends Electricity Subsidy for People of PoK

Muzaffarabad [PoK]: The Pakistani government has ended their subsidy on electricity and the tariff has been revoked for the illegally-occupied region of Pakistan, according to the country`s vernacular media. The Pakistan government revoked the tariff through the one-sided agreement draft issued to the PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), as per the report in Siasat Edit. In the illegally-occupied region of Pakistan, the electricity is generated from the water and hence, the Pakistani government is trying to generate revenue through fuel price by imposing KESCO Tariff in PoK. Now electricity would cost from 16 to 22 rupees per unit in PoK. The illegally occupied region is blessed with water resources and is a self-dependent region in electricity production but still people of PoK are yearning for electricity. This one-sided dictate is a violation of the WAPDA agreement between the Federal and PoK governments. This is a matter between two governments, and it should be resolved as per the ground facts and records through talks. It is good that the leadership in PoK have taken a strong stand against the federation`s unilateral action and it is the correct expression of the emotions of the people, according to Siasat Edit. 

The total electricity needed for PoK is only 350MW and it is producing more than 4000MW of electricity through Pin Electricity Projects. Free electricity is a right of the people of PoK and hence the illegally occupied region by Pakistan`s government should stand firm against this decision by the Federation Government and the people of Pok will give all support at every level. 

Pakistan is facing its worst time since the nation formed as the Pakistani rupee plunged, is being a constant target of terrorists, flour crisis and now, the electricity crisis is only adding to their problems. In the past nine years, Pakistan has faced eight major power outages and the latest major power outage on January 23 serves as a warning of the dystopian future that awaits Islamabad, reported Asian Lite International.

The people of Pakistan are caught in the middle, unable to understand why the country keeps failing to introduce structural reforms and if they will ever live in a country where there is not a constant threat of power breakdowns, gas outages, and water scarcity. The Ministry of Energy confirmed that the system frequency of the national power grid `went down` at 0700 hours on January 23 morning and caused a "widespread" breakdown in the power system across the country. 

The power outage affected the entire Pakistan, including Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, and Islamabad, reported Asian Lite International. This incident was not an isolated one, as the country has been facing power breakdowns frequently. In fact, this outage occurred only three months after another major power breakdown in October 2022.