Category: 1. Pakistan

WOMEN in Pakistan constitute 48.5 per cent of the population but face systemic disadvantages in education, healthcare and economic participation. To realise the country’s full potential, increa­sing women’s economic participation is critical.

Pakistan hit rock bottom in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Index out of 148 countries, with 56.7pc gender parity; it has closed only 2.3pc of the gap since 2006. It ranks below Sudan, Chad, Iran, Guinea and Congo. In South Asia, Bangladesh holds the 24th position, demonstrating a far more favourable gender equality landscape. This is the second year in a row that Pakistan’s gender parity score has declined.

This alone is a damning indictment of the little progress made — despite millions being poured into gender equality initiatives by international development agencies. However, the deeper problem is not lack of funding, but the misuse of a noble narrative to justify wasteful development programming. It should lead to deep introspection about why gender equality efforts keep failing.

Take, for example, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) initiative with Pakistan’s National Transmission and Despatch Company to increase female participation in technical and leadership roles.

A $182,000 technical assistance grant — part of the broader Power Transmission Enhance­ment Investment Programme — was awarded to support ‘gender mainstreaming’ through drafting a workplace gender policy, training 20pc of female staff and auditing an internship programme. This reads more like an HR department’s annual plan than a serious development intervention. Any functional organisation with a competent HR team can perform such tasks.

So why is our ailing power sector the testing ground for gender experiments scripted in distant multilateral offices?

The broader problem is a development culture that rewards symbolism over substance.

This is not an isolated case. ADB partnered with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to develop a Wo­­men Entrepreneurs Finance Code under a Wom­en-Inclusive Financial Sector Development Prog­ramme funded through a $5.5m grant and $150m loan.

In June 2025, another $350m loan was app­ro­ved to support women’s access to finance and provide credit to women-led micro SMEs. The code, launched with fanfare, is merely a declaration of intent to close financing gaps by designating a leader to monitor data and introduce targets.

While gender-responsive finance is a valid policy goal, was this multimillion-dollar donor intervention truly necessary when the SBP already has the legal mandate, institutional capacity and technical expertise to design such policies? Or is this just donor funding chasing headlines, not solutions?

Has the central bank run out of ideas to promote financial inclusion, which it championed until a decade ago when the Economist Intelligence Unit rated Pakistan’s microfinance regulatory framework the best in the world in 2010 and 2011, and the third best in 2013 and 2014? Either way, such supply-driven initiatives only weaken state institutions.

ADB has been involved in Pakistan’s financial sector since 2000, when it launched a $150m microfinance sector development programme to provide financial services to the poor, especially women. The World Bank is also actively involved in gender empowerment projects, focusing on education, economic participation and access to fin­ance.

In March this year, the World Bank approved a $102m loan to enhance access to microcredit and support the resilience of the microfinance sector. ADB and World Bank have extended loans for the same purpose for over 25 years. Similarly, bilateral donors continue to fund gender empowerment initiatives. The UK’s FCDO-owned Karandaaz also invests in profitable banks and established corporates to increase access to SME finance, including for women entrepreneurs.

This unneeded donor exuberance in Pakistan’s most profitable financial sector underscores a lack of interest in addressing core development challenges. These initiatives mainly advance the careers and networks of donor staff, consultants and local counterparts. There is clearly a problem when aid becomes a lucrative industry. It absolves the government of its responsibility to work for the welfare of its citizens. This aid addiction — fostered by international donors — has contributed to institutional decay, economic stagnation and insurmountable debt.

In fact, the actual outcomes of donor programmes implemented over the past decades show deteriorating trends. Pakistan’s credit-to-GDP ratio fell from 27pc in 2008 to 9pc in 2024 — the lowest among emerging countries. Credit remains concentrated in large corporates, with nearly 70pc allocated to manufacturing.

This reflects banks’ disconnect from the broader economy as well as the ineffectiveness of SBP regulation and donor involvement in the financial sector. More troubling is the steady decline in SMEs’ access to finance; their share of total private sector credit dropped from 17pc in the mid-2000s to just 6pc in 2024. The number of SME borrowers also declined from 185,000 in 2007 to 172,000 in 2024. Most financing is directed towards medium enterprises.

The broader problem is a development culture that rewards symbolism over substance. Pakistan’s addiction to foreign aid has fostered a policy environment where any externally funded programme is welcomed without scrutiny. Frivolous projects are designed to please donors, not solve real problems, reflecting waste and abuse. Whether in foreign-funded tax reforms, energy sector financial sustainability projects, or gender mainstreaming campaigns, the pattern is consistent: poor design, poor results.

Tragically, these projects are celebrated with MoUs, photo-ops, and social media hype, while the women they claim to empower remain invisible. This isn’t just inefficient — it’s unethical. Tokenism empowers donor staff, consultants and policymakers, not women; it reduces gender equality to a funding checkbox. Worse, they hide behind bizarre buzzwords like ‘gender-responsive climate finance’ or ‘gender-transformative value chains’ — jargon-masking emptiness.

We must not confuse real gender empowerment with bureaucratic parody. Genuine change means women’s access to education and healthcare, legal rights (especially inheritance), protection from violence, and more women in the workforce — not elite seminars, lavish launches, or pricey consultants churning out reports that nobody reads. Pakistan needs genuine reforms, not donor-driven theatre. And it is time we start calling out the phoney feminism that masquerades as development.

The writer is the author of The Shady Economics of International Aid. He is a former senior adviser of the IMF and ex-chief economist of the SBP.

dr.saeedahmed1@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025

A LONG-RUNNING controversy over the legitimacy of the 26th Amendment is back in the spotlight. A letter, authored by two of the senior-most justices serving in the Supreme Court, surfaced on Wednesday and was circulated on various social media forums. Unsurprisingly, it quickly became the topic of heated debates on the 26th Amendment and how a controversial piece of legislation enacted under questionable circumstances was allowed to become a fait accompli by the highest court.

The missive, which its authors said had been prompted by a recent decision to publish the minutes of an Oct 31, 2024, meeting of the court’s Practice and Procedure Committee, read like a riposte to two notes recently uploaded to the Supreme Court website and attributed to the chief justice, in which he had explained why challenges to the 26th Amendment were sent to the Constitutional Bench to adjudicate and not presented before a full court.

The controversy is already well known. However, the judges’ letter does shed some fresh light on the chief justice’s decision to set the petitions challenging the amendment before the Constitutional Bench. The judges point out that the meeting of the Practice and Procedure Committee, which decided to place the petitions before a full court bench, had been called in accordance with the relevant law, and the decision could not be ignored or overruled. This much was previously known. However, they assert that the decision was ignored after the chief justice informally and individually met the other judges of the court without their knowledge or involvement. The chief justice later concluded from these meetings that placing the matter before the full court “could dampen the much-needed spirit of collegiality among the judges and further expose the court to public scrutiny”.

That is certainly not a very satisfactory explanation, and the two senior judges appear correct in their indignation over the Committee being overruled. Arbitrary decision-making by past chief justices had been the primary justification for the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act, 2023, which subsequently mandated that the Committee decide all crucial issues before the court.

Meanwhile, “The challenges to the 26th Amendment continue to remain pending, and a golden opportunity to decide them […] before the institution as a whole — ie, the full court as it then stood — has been lost, perhaps irretrievably”, the judges regret in the letter. One hopes that this is not so.

The chief justice must reconsider. It has since become clear that this amendment has done substantial harm to both the judiciary and the constitutional order. The Supreme Court must decide this matter as a whole and reaffirm its solidarity in this moment of crisis.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025

BAJAUR / SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: At least 11 people — including a woman and children — were injured, when heavy clashes erupted between security forces and militants in the Birmal tehsil of Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday morning, officials and residents told Dawn.

The exchange of fire took place near Karmazi Stop, as troops were carrying out an operation to take control of a key militant stronghold. Sources said security forces managed to establish two new posts in the area.

Officials said that several militants initially managed to take refuge inside a nearby structure, but later fled during the clearance operation.

The crossfire left 11 residents injured, who were provided first aid before being shifted to the District Headq­uarters Hospital in Wana.

Witnesses said intermittent firing continued throughout the day, and residents said the area remained tense throughout the operation, with families confined to their homes for several hours. The Wana-Azam Warsak Road remained closed until around 1pm, disrupting routine life and leaving thousands unable to reach Wana Rustam bazaar.

Several militants believed to be among those killed in Bajaur explosion

Security officials confirmed that the road was later cleared.

Separately, several people were killed an explosion in the remote Charmang region of Bajaur’s Nawagai tehsil.

Although the exact cause of the incident is yet to be established, some sources claimed that a number of militants were among those killed. By some accounts, over two dozen individuals were killed in the explosion, which occurred in a mosque located in a hilly area. The remoteness of the region made it difficult to obtain independent confirmation of the incident.

It may be recalled that Operation Sarbakaf is currently underway in Bajaur, and residents have been evacuated from parts of the district as security forces work to root out a militant presence in the area.

There was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing, on either incident, until going to press.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025

• Audit report reveals only 13pc of funds directed towards public good
• Exposes recurring systemic issues in federal govt finances
• Massive supplementary grants allocated without parliamentary approval
• 87pc of expenditure in FY24 on debt, interest payments

ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has identified a record over Rs375 trillion worth of irregularities, financial mismanagement and loss of public money in the affairs of the federal government and departments and entities working under its control.

The AGP expressed grave concern that only 13 per cent of public funds were directed towards the public good, raising significant questions about the country’s financial affairs.

In its report for the audit year 2024-25, the AGP examined the accounts of the federal government, including ministries, divisions and other government bodies, for FY24. The report said that the “recurrence of these irregularities indicates that systemic issues were cropping up either due to inadequate oversight mechanisms or inappropriate design of internal controls”.

It pointed out unnecessary allocation of supplementary grants leading to blocking of public funds, massive supplementary grants without approval of the parliament, demand for budget without need assessment leading to surrender of budget, lapse of funds due to non-surrendering of funds in time and non-recording of commitments leading to poor budget management.

It said that “a high percentage of expenditure, i.e. 96.26pc, was expended on General Public Service, which includes 86.69pc on repayment of debt and interest payments during 2023-24, which was 91.42pc during 2022-23”.

Therefore, the federal government was left with a meagre 13.31pc of total expenditure for socio-economic functions (other than debt), which is slightly higher than the last year‘s percentage of 8.58pc.

Some of the key audit findings included a massive Rs284.17tr procurement-related issues, Rs85.6tr worth of defective, unexecuted and delayed civil work and Rs2.5tr worth of receivables and recovery-related issues.

There were Rs1.228tr worth of non-settlement of circular debt issues, Rs958bn worth of violation of law and regulations, Rs677.5bn of weak internal control, Rs628bn of poor asset management and Rs281bn worth of poor contract management.

There were Rs165bn worth of audit findings relating to miscellaneous financial issues, Rs73bn worth of value for money and service delivery issues and Rs92bn worth of loss to the state due to non-recovery of government shares and encroachment on public land.

The report noted that although many government entities had internal audit setups, the financial irregularities observed during the current audit reflect that this function failed to deliver effectively. “The efficient functioning of internal audit would have helped the management in effective implementation of internal controls and strengthening the internal control environment in audited entities,” it observed.

The audit analysis revealed certain deficiencies and shortcomings that were shared with the management and all the stakeholders, which include the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR), Cont­roller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance and all principal accounting officers of the relevant ministries and divisions and other entities for corrective measures.

The report revealed that 29pc (Rs513.87bn) of supplementary grants for FY24 had been issued without parliamentary approval, an unauthorised action. Non-surrender of savings under 12 grants led to a lapse of Rs212.08bn, and Rs12.6bn worth of expenditure exceeded the approved grants.

It said that as per the appropriation accounts for the financial year 2023-24, there was a total provision of Rs46.57tr. However, after surrender and supplementary grants, the final allocation was Rs 40.315tr. The actual expenditure was Rs39.945tr, with Rs369.97bn (0.92pc) savings, which was lower than the final allocation.

Overall appropriation figures revealed that the federal government approved supplementary grants of Rs1.765tr, of which Rs513.87bn was not approved by parliament. It said the Ministry of Finance claimed that supplementary grants not approved by parliament during the year would be presented for regularisation at the time of the next budget.

The AGP is required under Articles 169 and 170 of the Constitution to conduct an audit of the accounts of federal and provincial governments and the accounts of any authority or body established by these governments.

The consolidated audit report of the federal government is based on audits of the accounts of 7,879 formations working under entities of the federal government for the financial year 2023-24, and also contains some audit observations for the previous years.

The audit was conducted during 2024-25 on a test check basis to report significant audit findings to the stakeholders. The report includes only the systemic issues and audit findings carrying high monetary value.

Relatively less significant issues shall be pursued with the respective principal accounting officers (PAO) and, if unresolved, have to be brought to the notice of the Public Accounts Committee in the next year‘s audit report.

The AGP claimed that its audit activities had contributed towards adding value to the control mechanism of organisations, which complied with audit recommendations. As a result of the audit, management‘s awareness about internal controls and overall financial discipline has improved compliance with rules and regulations.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025

KARACHI: The city, thankfully, saw a partially sunny day on Thursday followed by light to moderate showers later in the evening, though contrary to what the Met Office had predicted.

Explaining the unexpected change in weather over the past two days, Focal Person of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Anjum Niaz Zaigham said the current monsoon system has lost its intensity and its likely impact on Karachi is almost over.

“Though as we speak, the city is likely to see good showers within an hour or so (late evening) as rain bands are approaching Karachi after bringing about showers in Hyderabad, Sanghar, Tando Allah Yar and other parts of Sindh,” he said.

He said that Orangi Town saw 113mm rain on Wednesday.

Light to moderate showers continue for third day

According to him, the weather system released its maximum energy on August 19 and the circulation over Gujarat, India dissipated early than expected.

“We were thinking that the low pressure area and the circulation over Gujarat would combine together but that didn’t happen, fortunately. Even, then, we wanted to remain cautious as it’s difficult to predict the system’s behaviour with complete accuracy,” he said.

Karachi, he pointed out, is expected to have its next monsoon spell on Aug 27, though the ongoing system is likely to impact south-east parts of the province on Friday (today).

Meanwhile, the Met department in an advisory has forecast mostly cloudy weather with slight chances of light rain / drizzle over the next two days (Friday-Thursday) in Karachi with maximum temperature ranging between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius.

According to the PMD’s 24-hour rain data of Aug 20, the maximum rain was recorded in Orangi town 113mm followed by PAF Faisal Base 43mm, Korangi 36mm, Keamari 31mm, PAF Base Masroor and University Road 24mm each, DHA 21mm, Nizamabad 19mm, Saadi twon 16mm and North Karachi 9mm.

Man dies of electrocution

A young man died of electrocution in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 15 in three days of rain.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the Sahir Qamar, 30, was brought dead from DHA to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Thursday. He died of an electric shock, she said.

Officials said that most deaths were caused by falling house structures and electrocution.

‘Situation fully under control’

While the city administration is struggling to drain rainwater accumulated in many underpasses and roads, Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi claimed that rainwater had been cleared from most markets in the city and adjoining roads had been reopened for traffic.

He stated in a statement that the drainage work at Nazimabad and Tariq Road underpasses had been completed and both reopened for vehicular traffic. Similarly, water accumulated at NIPA had been removed and the road restored for traffic flow. Work is continuing at Drigh Road, Sohrab Goth, and Gulbahar underpasses, where pumps have been installed and are operational. The Commissioner said these underpasses will be cleared soon, he added.

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani also paid a visit to the city and told the media that the overall situation in Karachi remained fully under control.

He said that despite the continuing showers, municipal staff, civil administration, elected representatives and provincial ministers are all present on the ground to supervise relief efforts. He added that after clearing major roads, drainage work on link roads and residential streets has been expedited.

He appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during the downpour to prevent any untoward incidents.

Published in Dawn, August 22th, 2025

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir in Islamabad, Pakistan, Aug. 21, 2025. (ISPR/Handout via Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir here on Thursday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the Pakistani army serves as the foundation of national stability and a staunch defender of China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation.

Wang pointed out that the Pakistani military has always supported both sides in earnestly implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepening strategic mutual trust at a higher level, and jointly building the “version 2.0” upgrade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality, contributing to accelerating the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Facing the rapid global changes unseen in a century and growing instability and uncertainties, Wang said promoting a strong China-Pakistan relationship is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability.

China has always prioritized Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy, and the relationship between the two countries has withstood the test of time and become even stronger, Wang said, adding that the two countries, both belonging to the Eastern civilization, attach great importance to friendship and righteousness, and have forged an unbreakable traditional friendship.

China will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial integrity and national security, and welcomes Pakistan to play a greater role in international affairs, Wang said.

Munir said China is Pakistan’s iron-clad friend, with both sides having always shared weal and woe, and their strategic partnership is as solid as a rock.

Developing friendly relations with China is a consensus across Pakistani society, Munir noted, expressing sincere gratitude for China’s valuable support in the economic and social development of Pakistan over the long term.

The Pakistani military is willing to actively promote counter-terrorism and security cooperation between the two countries, and will continue to make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan, contributing to the consolidation and development of the all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China, he said. ■

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani foreign policy analysts on Thursday urged the government to undertake “serious efforts” to ensure implementation of long-delayed projects part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which include special economic zones (SEZs), modernizing railway lines and extending the corridor to Afghanistan.

Islamabad and Beijing said on Thursday they would prioritize “high-quality” cooperation under CPEC, unveiling plans for an upgraded version of the multibillion-dollar flagship Belt and Road project. CPEC was launched in 2015 and is essentially an infrastructure network that includes energy, highways, railways projects, and the development of the Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea connecting Pakistan and China.

The announcement came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan, who met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Zardari in Islamabad on Wednesday. Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s desire to deepen bilateral cooperation with China in trade, investment, ICT, agriculture, industrialization, mines and minerals and other key sectors, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

While Pakistan has said the project is extremely vital to revive its struggling economy, political, security and economic challenges have caused CPEC projects to suffer delays.

Pakistani economists and foreign policy experts said that while CPEC holds vast economic potential, consistent policies by Pakistan and its accelerated implementation are required for tangible results. Shakeel Ramay, an economist, said SEZs were a key part of the CPEC that could not be established at the required pace due to governance, political, and other challenges.

“The positive point is that the government has now realized their importance and is working on it, but serious efforts are needed to expedite the implementation,” Ramay added.

Ramay also highlighted delays in the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project.

The ML‑1, a $6.7 billion upgrade of Pakistan’s 1,687-kilometer Karachi–Peshawar rail artery first agreed upon in May 2017, is central to CPEC. The overhaul, involving track doubling, advanced signaling and higher-speed trains, is expected to boost cargo and passenger capacity while easing the transport of trade goods to and from the country’s southern ports.

“The hope is there for the project to kickstart with Pakistan and China’s openness to third-party inclusion creating opportunities for the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and other investors,” Ramay said.

China is also involved in the development of a deep-sea port in Pakistan’s Gwadar city, located in its impoverished southwestern Balochistan province. In January this year, Pakistan operated the first commercial flight at the Gwadar International Airport, which has been developed with Chinese funding.

Ramay noted that implementation of CPEC projects in Gwadar was visible, despite hurdles.

“The Chinese government has donated 5,000 solar units, built a state-of-the-art hospital, and, along with Pakistan, is investing in skills development,” he said, adding that 30 Chinese and Pakistani companies have invested almost 3 billion Yuan ($418 million) in the Gwadar Free Trade Zone.

CPEC’s EXPANSION INTO AFGHANISTAN

Yi and the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan held trilateral talks in Kabul this week. The three sides agreed to strengthen economic, trade and security cooperation, and extend CPEC to Afghanistan.

However, ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain tense as Islamabad blames Kabul for not taking action against militants it alleges launch attacks on Pakistan from its soil. Kabul denies the allegations.

Naghmana Hashmi, Pakistan’s former ambassador to China, said extending CPEC to Afghanistan had always been seen as a natural step to link Central Asia together. However, she said security issues delayed the plan.

“Without peaceful Afghanistan and secure transit, CPEC could not completely develop for Pakistan,” she told Arab News.

Hashmi noted that while the Taliban initially stayed away from the idea to extend CPEC into Afghanistan, they later endorsed it. She said that with the Taliban now in power in Afghanistan, internal security for CPEC projects in the country might not be a “major challenge.”

Dr. Talat Shabbir, director of the China-Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, said CPEC’s expansion into Afghanistan could take time given the complex bilateral relationship between Islamabad and Kabul.

“Political and bilateral connectivity is essential for such a venture, but I am hopeful that progress will be made soon as the Chinese are actively working on this aspect,” Shabbir said.

Security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan working on CPEC projects, however, has been an area of concern for both nations. Militant attacks in Balochistan, northwestern Pakistan and Karachi targeting Chinese nationals have urged Beijing to express concern over the safety of its citizens in Pakistan.

Shabbir noted that Pakistan had bolstered security for Chinese citizens in the wake of these attacks.

“Looking ahead into 2025, Pakistan is further upgrading its security protocols with a mix of technology, intelligence sharing, and community-level engagement in CPEC areas,” he said.

ISLAMABAD:

Electricity consumers are likely to get a relief of Rs1.6911 per unit on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for July 2025, subject to approval by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).

NEPRA has scheduled a public hearing on August 28, 2025, to review the Central Power Purchasing Agency Guarantee Limited’s (CPPA-G) request for a downward revision in FCA for ex-WAPDA distribution companies.

According to data submitted by CPPA-G, the actual fuel costs during July were lower than the reference charges approved earlier. The agency has sought a reduction of Rs1.6911 per unit from the reference fuel charge of Rs9.8758 per unit. If approved, the move will provide significant relief to electricity consumers of ex-WAPDA distribution companies in their upcoming billing cycles.

During July, total electricity generation stood at 14,123 gigawatt-hours. Hydropower was the largest contributor, accounting for 40% of the energy mix. Local coal contributed 11% while imported coal added nearly 15%. Gas-based generation stood at 8%, regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) at 13%, and nuclear power provided more than 17%. Renewable energy also played a role, with wind contributing over 4% and solar just under 1%. Imports from Iran made up 0.25% of the total supply. After adjusting for transmission losses of nearly 3%, the net energy delivered to distribution companies was recorded at 13,666 gigawatt-hours.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy has issued new policy guidelines following approval by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on August 19, 2025. NEPRA has been directed to ensure uniform application of FCA across the country. This means that the FCA determined for ex-WAPDA distribution companies will also apply to K-Electric consumers through tariff rationalisation.

Under the guidelines, the same rate and application period must be enforced for both K-Electric and other distribution companies. Any difference between the monthly FCA determined for K-Electric and the notified rate will be adjusted either through subsidy or cross-subsidy. The uniform FCA application policy has been effective since June 2025 and was charged in consumer bills for August 2025.

NEPRA has invited all stakeholders and affected parties to participate in the hearing and submit written or oral objections as allowed under law. Relevant documents, including the CPPA-G request, the Ministry of Energy’s letter, and past NEPRA determinations, have been made available on the authority’s official website.

The regulator’s upcoming decision will determine whether electricity consumers receive relief in their July bills, offering much-needed respite at a time of persistently high energy costs.