During a Senate session, when Abid Sher Ali strongly criticised the Ministry of Energy, Energy Minister Owais Leghari hinted that relief for protected consumers could be extended to 250 units within the next month and a half.
According to details, PML-N members lashed out at their own government over high electricity bills during the Senate session. Abid Sher Ali said that the burden of electricity theft and incompetence by power companies should no longer be passed on to the public. He questioned why a consumer using 201 units of electricity was being charged a bill for 400 units.
Energy Minister Owais Ahmed Leghari said work was underway to increase the limit for protected consumers from 200 to 250 units. The minister expressed hope that relief would be provided within a month and a half. He also stated that circular debt had declined to Rs1,670 billion and that the target was to eliminate the debt servicing surcharge within the next four years.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry described the misuse of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) in Pakistan as an uncontrollable horse, saying that fake content was being spread through AI.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the Naya Pakistan Authority was being shut down, but its projects would not be discontinued. Projects underway in Islamabad would be completed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), while the relevant institutions would complete projects in the provinces.
Anusha Rahman raised questions about false propaganda generated through AI and the legal immunity enjoyed by social media platforms. Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistan was a founding member of an AI organisation established in China and that the organisation’s meeting would be held in December.
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja informed the House that IT and telecommunications export remittances had reached $4.6 billion, while freelancers’ earnings had increased by 49.4 per cent to $1.16 billion.
The Senate session was adjourned until 3pm on Thursday due to a lack of quorum.
