HESCO, SEPCO be handed over to Sindh govt: Imtiaz
KARACHI: Speaking during the Sindh Assembly budget session, Pakistan Peoples’ Party leader Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh said that despite prevailing economic pressures and financial constraints, the Sindh government had presented a balanced and people-friendly budget focused on development, public welfare and the provision of basic facilities.
He said that more than Rs100 billion had been allocated for Karachi’s development and infrastructure projects, which would play a significant role in improving civic amenities and addressing the city’s longstanding issues.
Imtiaz Shaikh called for special development and drainage packages for rural areas of Sindh to ensure sustainable solutions to drainage and infrastructure-related challenges. He said that Sindh produces gas and electricity for the country, yet the province itself continues to face an energy crisis. Referring to prolonged power outages, he said that residents of Shikarpur and several other areas were suffering from 18 to 20 hours of load-shedding daily, creating severe hardships for the public.
He urged the relevant authorities to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to industrial zones and urban centres in order to support economic and industrial activities. He further stated that increased load-shedding during Muharram-ul-Haram amounted to an injustice to the people and mourners observing the holy month.
Imtiaz Shaikh demanded that HESCO and SEPCO be handed over to the Sindh government, arguing that the provincial administration could manage these institutions more efficiently. He said that instead of privatizing HESCO and SEPCO, the federal government should authorize the Sindh government to run them.
Highlighting the importance of the Thar Coal Project, he said it offered a long-term solution to the country’s energy crisis and that the cheapest electricity in Pakistan was being generated in Sindh.
He called for the implementation of pending agreements and projects related to the energy sector. Discussing healthcare, he said that free medical treatment facilities in Larkana and Nawabshah had provided significant relief to thousands of patients, while the provision of modern healthcare facilities at the taluka level should remain a government priority.
He also noted that the Peoples Bus Service in Sukkur and Shikarpur was providing better transportation facilities to the public and helping ease commuting difficulties.
Speaking on education, Imtiaz Shaikh said that granting financial powers to headmasters would improve the performance and administrative efficiency of government schools. He added that several development projects, including NICVD facilities, a Ladies Club and other schemes in Shikarpur, had been completed successfully.
He further stated that the law and order situation in upper Sindh had improved significantly and expressed hope that the Sindh government would continue accelerating development initiatives and public welfare programs across the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026