‘USD53bn’ ISP 2025-35: PTI slams govt’s bid to secure approval from Nepra

ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday criticised the government’s attempt to secure approval from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for a USD 53 billion Integrated System Plan (ISP) 2025-2035, saying it lacked independent verification and posed risks to the country’s energy sector.

Talking to reporters, PTI spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram described the plan as a “reckless gamble” with potential financial implications for both the state and consumers.

He said Nepra had raised concerns over the exclusion of certain projects, misalignment with distribution companies’ needs, and assumptions in the plan that could increase electricity prices by at least Rs4 per unit.

Industry representatives, he added, had warned that tariffs could reach Rs70 per unit, with potential disruptions to industrial activity and higher rates for consumers.

Akram said the absence of third-party validation, a measure repeatedly recommended by Nepra, undermined accountability and transparency.

“The lack of an independent review raises questions about possible preferential arrangements for select power producers and politically motivated projects,” he added.

The PTI spokesman cited past governments as examples of mismanagement in the energy sector.

Under the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from 2008-2013, he said, rental power projects and flawed independent power policies contributed to a surge in circular debt, compounded by governance issues and insufficient subsidies.

Under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from 2013-2018, he added, circular debt initially declined but later rose due to investments in expensive coal and RLNG plants, some of which were mismatched with transmission capacity, while capacity payments disproportionately benefited a few producers.

Akram warned that the current plan’s assumptions – including a low 2.6 percent projected growth in electricity demand and obligations to dispatch costly plants – could lead to surplus capacity, transmission bottlenecks, and further fiscal strain, placing additional costs on consumers and industry.

PTI called for immediate third-party validation by credible domestic and international experts, greater transparency in project selection, alignment with least-cost planning principles, and safeguards against unwarranted tariff increases.

The party also highlighted its own record in the energy sector, claiming it had expanded transmission capacity, addressed inefficiencies, and exposed excesses in independent power producer contracts under the leadership of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026