Karachi: Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Sindh Minister for Energy, Development and Planning, has announced a stringent crackdown on the issuance of fake electrical safety certificates within the Power Department. This directive comes in response to reports of fraudulent Work Completion Reports (WCR) and wiring test reports affecting consumer safety and security.

According to Directorate General Information and PRs – Sindh, the decision was made during a high-level meeting of the Power Department which was attended by Secretary Energy Mossadiq Ahmad Khan, Director General Power Nand Lal Sharma, Additional Secretary Mehboob Ali Syal, and Electric Inspectors from all divisions. The meeting revealed that many of the reports submitted to K-Electric are counterfeit, featuring forged seals and unauthorized signatures of department officials, despite repeated notifications to the Power Department for verification.

The meeting underscored that the authenticity of these documents is critical for ensuring the safety of life and property, highlighting the increased risk of fire in residential, commercial, and industrial settings due to substandard electrical installations, a problem exacerbated by the cessation of annual inspections since 2003. Minister Shah directed the formation of a joint team comprising Power Department officers and police personnel to oversee and enforce the crackdown.

Additionally, Minister Shah called for the modernization of the Power Department’s systems, including making licensing and examination processes for electrical professionals more transparent and adopting modern technology to better serve the public interest. He also stressed the importance of improving mechanisms for handling complaints about over-billing and unannounced power cuts by the Electrical Inspector.