Pakistan Government Decisions on 10 November 2026: Smart Meters on DISCO Transformers, HESCO Board and Rs 1.22 Billion Heroin Seizure
Pakistan will fund smart meters on transformers in all DISCOs, a cabinet committee reconstitutes the HESCO board, and Customs seizes Rs 1.22 billion of heroin.
Short answer: On 10 November 2026 the federal government said it will fund smart meters on transformers in every power distribution company (DISCO) to curb theft and overbilling. A cabinet committee reconstituted the HESCO board and named a new NESPAK chairman. Customs reported Rs 1.22 billion of heroin seized near Quetta. Pakistan also plans its own foot and mouth disease vaccine plants within a year.
These are the main government decisions of Tuesday from the Press Information Department (PID). We read each press release in full on pid.gov.pk the same evening. None of them changes your electricity bill or a fee today. But the smart meter plan and the DISCO board changes are steps on the way to privatising power companies, so they matter for every bill payer.
Smart meters will go on transformers in all DISCOs
Ahad Cheema, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and the Establishment Division, chaired a meeting on the development programmes of the DISCOs. The Economic Affairs Division is arranging funding to install smart meters on transformers across all distribution companies. The PID release says the aim is to curb electricity theft and overbilling, and that funding talks are making good progress.
A meter on a transformer measures how much power leaves it. Comparing that with the bills of the homes it feeds shows where units are being lost or wrongly charged. It is different from a smart meter at your own house, which our guide to AMI smart meters in Pakistan explains.
The release also sets rules for DISCOs that are privatised:
- Private investors will be expected to carry the smart metering project on.
- Talks with lenders such as multilateral partners will go on until privatisation is complete.
- If a DISCO is sold during those talks, the financing and programmes pass to the new owner, under agreed terms.
- Any new project by a private owner must go through competitive bidding, and NEPRA approval where it applies.
The government says privatisation is not meant to shift costs onto consumers. Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and the Prime Minister's Adviser on Privatisation attended. The release gives no amount, no lender and no date for the meters.
A cabinet committee changes the HESCO, SEPCO and NESPAK boards
The Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOE) met at the Finance Division, chaired by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb. It approved two proposals on the boards of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the companies the government owns.
| Company | Decision |
|---|---|
| National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) | Chairman, an independent director, appointed |
| Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) | Board of directors reconstituted |
| Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) | Independent director appointed |
The release does not name the people appointed. The Finance Minister said officials who sit on these boards because of their government job must be competent and experienced enough to represent their ministries properly. Science and Technology Minister Khalid Hussain Magsi also attended.
HESCO and SEPCO supply power in Sindh. For a supply fault or a burnt transformer in their areas, our guide on reporting a burnt transformer to NEPRA lists the steps.
Customs reports Rs 1.22 billion of heroin seized near Quetta
Pakistan Customs reported three seizures in a PID release. The largest was at Ziarat Cross, Quetta, by the Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement). Officers found 42.891 kilograms of heroin in hidden compartments of a Toyota Hilux Revo. Both people in the vehicle were arrested on the spot.
| Place | What was seized | Value given by Customs |
|---|---|---|
| Ziarat Cross, Quetta | 42.891 kg heroin and the vehicle | Rs 1.22 billion |
| Kolpur, Quetta to Sibi road | About 500 kg cellulose acetate tow, 30 ketamine injections, other goods | Rs 51.6 million |
| Silk Route Dry Port, Sost | About 23,800 kg suspected cellulose acetate tow and other goods | Rs 75 million, with Rs 319 million in duties and taxes |
Cellulose acetate tow is the fibre used to make cigarette filters. Its import is closely watched because it can feed illegal cigarette making. At Sost, samples have gone for laboratory testing to confirm what the material is. Cases were registered under the Customs Act, 1969, and, for the heroin, the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997. Our table of narcotics punishments shows what that law sets for each quantity.
Pakistan plans its own FMD vaccine plants within a year
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain met Turkiye's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Turkiye. They agreed to work together on foot and mouth disease (FMD) control, vaccine making, livestock and meat exports.
The release says Pakistan is pursuing FMD vaccine manufacturing facilities on the Prime Minister's direction, with a target of one year. Two projects are under way, one by the Punjab government and one at the federal level. Pakistan plans to export meat to Turkiye once an FMD-free zone project is finished. FMD is a viral disease of cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats that cuts milk yield and blocks meat exports to many markets.
What to watch next
Each decision has a next step, but few come with dates. Here is what to look for:
- The lender and the amount for the transformer smart meters.
- The names of the new HESCO board members, the NESPAK chairman and the SEPCO director.
- The laboratory result on the Sost consignment.
- Where the two FMD vaccine plants will be built.
We will report these when the government publishes them.
Common questions
Will smart meters on transformers change my bill?
Not directly. They measure power leaving each transformer to spot theft and overbilling. The release sets no start date.
Which DISCOs get transformer smart meters?
All of them, according to the PID release of 10 November 2026. Funding is still being arranged.
Who chaired the CCoSOE meeting?
Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, at the Finance Division in Islamabad.
Who was appointed to the HESCO board?
The release does not give names. It says only that the board was reconstituted.
How much heroin did Customs seize at Ziarat Cross?
42.891 kilograms, valued by Customs at about Rs 1.2 billion. With the vehicle, the total is Rs 1.22 billion.
When will Pakistan make its own FMD vaccine?
The target is within one year, according to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 10 November 2026, about 22:00 PKT. We read PID Press Releases No. 95, 96, 99 and 107 of 10 November 2026 on pid.gov.pk. Every figure is as the releases state it.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
