Time to Establish Competitive Market for Affordable Power, Says Energy Minister Owais Leghari

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Energy Owais Ahmed Leghari has said that the time has come to establish a competitive electricity market to ensure affordable energy supply in Pakistan.

Addressing the TBMM workshop virtually, Leghari stated that the government is committed to ushering power generation, trade, and transmission into a new era through the creation of a modern, transparent, and competitive electricity market aimed at providing every Pakistani with reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy.

He explained that the CTBCM (Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market) is a globally tested model designed to promote transparency and competition in the power sector. “This is not an experiment but a reform plan developed over years, and now is the time to implement it,” he emphasized.

The minister highlighted that the auction framework will be the backbone of CTBCM’s implementation. Under this framework, 800 megawatts of wheeling demand will be allocated through competitive bidding, allowing large industrial consumers to directly purchase electricity from suppliers at competitive rates.

Leghari added that the CTBCM and wheeling auctions will reduce industrial costs, facilitate the inclusion of renewable energy sources in the system, and provide exporters with access to cheaper, environmentally friendly electricity. He stressed that this reform is being implemented through a participatory framework rather than being imposed from above. “Without reforms, inefficiencies will persist, and consumers will continue to bear the burden,” he warned.