ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP): Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari informed the National Assembly on Monday that electricity charges for households using up to 200 units a month had dropped by about 60 per cent over the past nine months.
Replying to a question from MNA Naeema Kishwar Khan during Question Hour, he said that out of the country’s 35 million electricity users, around 18.3 million were already receiving subsidies—90 per cent for those consuming up to 100 units, and 70 per cent for those using between 100 and 200 units.
He said expanding the 200-unit slab to cover households using up to 300 units would require an extra Rs275 billion in subsidies, which was not possible under the current financial conditions. Still, he added, the government was already carrying a heavy subsidy load for low-use consumers.
In response to a question from MNA Iftikhar Baig, the minister clarified that no subsidized electricity had been offered to any cryptocurrency mining project in Pakistan.
He said no tariff, rate, or legal framework for crypto-related ventures had been approved.
He said, the government had introduced an incremental electricity package for the entire industrial sector—without subsidies—to boost competitiveness, especially for export industries. He added that about 7,500 MW of extra power was available, and talks were ongoing with development partners and the IMF to use it for improving grid stability./APP-rzr-zah