Panel informed: All conventional meters to be replaced with AMI meters by next year
ISLAMABAD: The government plans to replace all conventional electricity meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meters by December 2026, a move aimed at curbing power theft and enhancing real-time monitoring of electricity distribution, a parliamentary panel was informed on Wednesday.
During a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Privatisation, chaired by Farooq Sattar, Additional Secretary of the Power Division Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah provided an update on ongoing initiatives.
Shah stated that 1.5 million AMI meters had already been installed, with one million in Islamabad and 500,000 in other regions.
He noted that the introduction of AMI meters and the Asset Performance Management System (APMS) had contributed to a 2 percent reduction in power losses.
He explained that AMI meters would enable more accurate detection of electricity theft, while APMS would allow for real-time monitoring of transformers and feeders. The system will also help optimize load management for transformers.
The committee directed the Power Division to submit a detailed area-wise report on the distribution of the 1.5 million AMI meters nationwide.
On the privatization front, he said that the timeline for privatizing Pakistan’s electricity distribution companies has been extended from December 2025 to March-April 2026.
The government plans to privatise three companies in the first phase: Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO), and Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO).
Committee members raised concerns over the ongoing power shortages, particularly in Peshawar and Karachi. In Peshawar, outages are reportedly lasting up to 22 hours, while Karachi faces load-shedding between 12 to 18 hours.
Shah said that 8,723 out of 11,657 feeders are currently free from load-shedding, but areas with high loss percentages still face up to eight hours of scheduled outages.
He confirmed that no DISCO is allowed to exceed eight hours of scheduled load-shedding, although local issues sometimes extend the duration.
In a separate briefing, Secretary of the Privatization Division Hammad Shamimi provided an update on the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
He confirmed that the bidding process would begin in mid-December, with the reference price to be presented to the federal cabinet for approval. Four bidders – Lucky Cement Consortium, Arif Habib Corporation Consortium, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited, and Airblue Limited – have been pre-qualified, while others did not meet the required criteria.
Shamimi added that negotiations are ongoing to finalize the commercial terms for the sale, and that a critical meeting on PIA’s privatization had been held with the Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on November 15. The committee pressed for an expedited timeline for the bidding process and requested a detailed schedule be provided at the next meeting.
Sattar emphasized the importance of protecting PIA employees’ rights, including job security, pensions, and other benefits, urging that staff be retained based on performance and merit. He also called for consultations with employees’ unions throughout the process.
Regarding PIA’s valuation, Sattar indicated that the reserve price might be set below Rs85 billion, but reiterated that the committee supports privatization as long as employee rights are fully safeguarded.
On the Roosevelt Hotel privatization, Shamimi said that the government had approved a joint venture model for its sale, with multiple exit options.
The decision, which was endorsed by the Cabinet Committee on Privatization in July 2025, is now moving forward with the appointment of a new financial advisor, with seven firms having submitted proposals for review.
The committee also discussed the clearance of outstanding dues for Utility Stores employees, with the Privatization Secretary confirming that all dues had been paid. “The matter stands resolved,” said Sattar.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025