Pakistan’s power distribution sector continues to show uneven progress on health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards, according to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (NEPRA) HSE Performance Evaluation Report for fiscal year 2024–25. Among distribution utilities, K-Electric was placed in the “Outstanding” category with the highest score of 91 out of 100, reflecting a level of consistency that remains uncommon across much of the publicly owned distribution network.
The report further points to persistent weaknesses among several public-sector distribution companies. Utilities such as LESCO, QESCO and HESCO were rated in the “Fair” category, indicating gaps in safety governance, contractor oversight and field-level implementation of safety procedures. Others, including IESCO, PESCO and SEPCO, were assessed just as “Good,” and showed inconsistent performance across key indicators, suggesting that improvements have yet to be embedded into mature and sustainable HSE management systems.
Within the distribution segment, only a limited number of public-sector utilities, including MEPCO, FESCO, GEPCO and TESCO, achieved “Outstanding” ratings during the evaluation period. While these companies demonstrated comparatively stronger compliance, their results showed greater year-to-year variation when compared with top-ranked performers.
NEPRA’s annual evaluation covers generation, transmission and distribution licensees and assesses them against 20 standardized categories outlined in the Power Safety Code. These include accident prevention measures, contractor safety management, documentation quality, emergency preparedness and the effectiveness of HSE management systems. Scores are capped at 100 and classified into five performance tiers ranging from “Unsatisfactory” to “Outstanding.”
Beyond distribution companies, the report highlights generally stronger and more consistent performance among power generation licensees, many of which recorded high scores across multiple years. Transmission companies showed mixed results, reflecting the operational challenges associated with managing extensive high-voltage networks spread over large geographic areas.
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As part of its sector-wide assessment, NEPRA noted that K-Electric’s licensed transmission and generation operations also retained “Outstanding” rankings during the same evaluation period, placing the utility among a small group of companies demonstrating high HSE compliance across multiple operational segments. The regulator cautioned, however, that higher rankings do not constitute certification of on-ground safety conditions or guarantees against operational risk.
NEPRA observed recurring deficiencies across lower-ranked utilities, including outdated or incomplete documentation, weak contractor safety controls and limited enforcement of safety procedures at the field level. The regulator noted that many public-sector entities have yet to establish mature HSE management systems, despite repeated evaluations conducted over the past five years.
Safety remains a critical concern across Pakistan’s power sector, where aging infrastructure and expanding networks continue to increase exposure to operational hazards. NEPRA warned that inadequate safety controls can result in serious incidents such as electrocution, fires, equipment damage and system outages, posing risks to workers, the public and overall system stability.
Utilities placed in lower performance categories have been directed to implement corrective and preventive action plans, with senior management held accountable for addressing identified deficiencies. NEPRA said future evaluations will continue to track progress as part of its broader effort to strengthen safety governance and risk management across the power sector.
