Sindh Solar Energy Project Faces Multi-Billion Rupee Scam Allegations

Karachi: Alarming revelations have emerged about alleged financial irregularities worth billions of rupees in the **Sindh government’s flagship solar energy project**, raising serious questions over transparency.

According to a report published in *The News*, the Sindh government declared the cost of each solar kit as **$151**, while import documents showed the actual price to be **below $50** — and in some cases, as low as **$23.4** per kit.

The project, launched with **Rs. 28 billion funding from the World Bank**, aimed to provide **200,000 households with solar home systems** in its first phase. However, documents presented in Geo News’ program *Naya Pakistan* revealed that just in the initial phase, discrepancies in pricing and alleged fake tax claims caused losses of nearly **Rs. 6.5 billion**.

Concerns deepened further as investigations suggested that **solar DC fans**, distributed among citizens as “imported,” were in fact **locally manufactured**, yet customs duties and taxes were claimed.

Transparency International Pakistan also wrote to Sindh Chief Minister **Murad Ali Shah**, stating that the project’s contract violated **Sindh Public Procurement Rules (SPPR)**. It alleged that the deal was non-transparent, awarded to a subsidiary of a government-owned company, and later altered to increase unit costs from **$84 to $135**, inflicting an additional **Rs. 6 billion** loss.

Provincial Minister **Nasir Hussain Shah** denied any wrongdoing, stating that all relevant documents would be provided. However, he admitted that if under-invoicing occurred, it was done by the private company involved.

The project, announced by **PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari** during his election campaign, promised poor and BISP-registered families a **solar panel, battery, DC fan, three LED bulbs, and a mobile charging facility**.

The matter has also been raised in the **Senate’s Standing Committee on Economic Affairs**, where concerns were expressed over transparency, delays, and distribution flaws. An inquiry committee was formed, but no conclusive outcome has been reported yet.

These revelations come at a time when the Sindh government is branding the scheme as its **flagship development initiative**, but allegations of inflated pricing, fake import documents, and mismanagement have cast a shadow over its credibility.