Syed Saif Ul Hassan 
Oct 16, 2025
In what seems to be breaking the monotony of the only electricity provider in the city, residents of Karachi and other parts of Pakistan will be able to choose their own electricity provider starting January 2026.
With the government welcoming more power suppliers in the country, the widening of available options is believed to be intensifying the competition in Pakistan's energy sector.
The move is part of a bigger plan to introduce a multi-vendor electricity market, discussed during a National Assembly committee meeting on Wednesday under the "Multi-Vendor Electricity Distribution Bill, 2025," presented by MNA Shahida Rehmani, Geo Digital reported, citing sources.
Reflecting on its performance, the MNA criticised K-Electric for years of inefficiency and causing losses in Karachi.
The committee, led by MNA Muhammad Idrees, postponed the bill's review until February 2026 for further discussion.
During the meeting, Power Division Secretary Dr Fakhr Alam Irfan announced that consumers will be allowed to buy electricity from any registered power company starting next year.
Once the bill gets the government's nod, 200 megawatts will be initially offered for bulk purchase in the first phase, targeting users consuming up to 1MW.
Another vital area of discussion during the meeting was Pakistan's growing solar capacity, which has reached 18,000MW. Officials outlined that net-metering systems account for 6,000MW, while off-grid solar is estimated at 12,000MW, based on satellite data.
Although solar is getting cheaper with time, it was outlined that grid power includes extra costs, Rs14 per unit for capacity and Rs9 in taxes, with officials adding that the rapid growth of decentralised systems could risk grid stability if not properly managed.
