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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will offer a lucrative 18-20 per cent return, along with complete freedom for investors to buy and sell electricity in a competitive market, as it targets the privatisation of three of the most viable distribution companies (Discos) in October, November and December.
“We will provide in the transaction structure terms and conditions that protect consumer interests but also ensure investor comfort. We will do it upfront as part of transaction structure, before bidding (of the first Disco), otherwise privatisation will not be possible,” Prime Minister’s Adviser on Privatisation Muhammad Ali told Dawn after a meeting of the Privatisation Commission board, which approved a restructuring plan for Faisalabad Electric Supply Company – the first of five Discos to be sold in 2026-27.
Mr Ali said the Privatisation Commission had completed domestic soft marketing of three Discos of Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Islamabad in seven major cities, with chambers of commerce and industry and business houses and would now be expanding abroad mainly to Saudi Arabia, China and Turkiye and approaching other Middle Eastern capitals — Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and so on — virtually and through transaction advisers to tap in investors and technical operators.
