NEPRA Grants DHA City Karachi Its Own Electricity Distribution Licence for 20 Years
NEPRA granted DHA Energy Supply Company licence DL/11/2026 for DHA City Karachi, valid from 1 October 2026 for 20 years. Tariff not yet set. See what changes.
Short answer: NEPRA granted DHA Energy Supply Company (Private) Limited a 20 year distribution licence, number DL/11/2026, on 24 July 2026. It covers DHA City Karachi only and runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2046. The company must still get its tariff approved, and NEPRA has not set that rate yet.
Most housing societies in Pakistan have no say in who sells them power. They are plugged into a company like K-Electric or LESCO and pay its tariff. DHA City Karachi is trying to become the electricity company for its own residents.
We read NEPRA's 23 page determination and the licence that came with it, as posted on NEPRA's licensing page. The grant is not new, but its start date of 1 October makes it current, and few people have read it.
The licence covers DHA City Karachi and nothing outside it
The licence is granted strictly for facilities located within DHA City Karachi. The company describes the project as a housing estate of about 22,000 acres in Gadap Town, around 56 km from Karachi. NEPRA's licence schedule lists the distribution facilities as DHA City and DHA Indus Hills, Super Highway M-9.
The network is underground cable. As we read the scanned schedule, it lists 69.5 km of high tension line, 225 km of low tension line and two 11 kV feeders. The applicant told NEPRA the area will have more than 100,000 consumers in the end.
| Item | What the NEPRA papers say |
|---|---|
| Licence number | DL/11/2026, case LAD-59 |
| Date of grant | 24 July 2026 |
| Term | 20 years, 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2046 |
| Area | Only DHA City Karachi |
| Licensee | DHA Energy Supply Company (Private) Limited |
| Power source named | 6.00 MW from Lucky Cement, plus nearby plants and the national grid |
The area was a K-Electric consumer until 30 September
K-Electric told NEPRA that DHA City Karachi is today its consumer. It is fed through Lucky Cement under a one point supply, which means one connection serves the whole estate. NEPRA had approved that arrangement in K-Electric's power acquisition plan, with a term up to 30 September 2026.
NEPRA also noted that the estate did not want to continue the arrangement. That is why the licence term starts on 1 October 2026, the day after the old arrangement lapses. For a wider look at Karachi's one tariff, see why Karachi pays the same electricity rate as the rest of Pakistan.
The determination does not say how individual residents are billed from 1 October. We could not confirm whether they will receive bills from the new company at once or from K-Electric for some time. Check with your own utility office before assuming either.
The company still has to get its own tariff
The licence says the company may charge only the tariff, use of system charges and connection charges that NEPRA has determined. If no tariff exists when the licence is granted, the company must file a petition within 30 days of grant.
That means there is no approved DHA City rate yet in the papers we read. Until NEPRA decides, residents should not accept a bill at a rate they cannot match to a notified tariff. We expect a public hearing, because NEPRA hears every tariff petition in public. Our note on taking part in a NEPRA public hearing shows how residents can comment.
Objections came from GEPCO, CPPA-G and K-Electric
Five bodies sent comments. The residents' association and the Punjab industrial estates company supported the licence. GEPCO, CPPA-G and K-Electric raised concerns, and NEPRA answered each.
- GEPCO said the plan did not name connection points or show a clear power purchase plan for a projected 924.08 MW.
- CPPA-G said a supplier of last resort cannot do other business and should buy power through competitive bidding.
- CPPA-G also suggested a minimum number of consumers for a distribution licence. NEPRA said no such threshold is appropriate at this stage.
- K-Electric said the estate's demand was already counted in its own capacity plan until 30 September 2026.
- NEPRA made the company's duties a condition of the licence: a procurement plan, an investment plan and a tariff petition.
In the end NEPRA found the application in substantial compliance and granted the licence. It noted that the company's own papers allowed generation and transmission, but the company confirmed it would restrict itself to distribution and supply.
What residents can expect from the new company
Under its licence the company must run a complaint system that gives a fair and speedy answer, keep daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly complaint data, and keep an online complaint tracker updated in real time. It must also comply with the Performance Standards, the Grid Code and the Distribution Code.
The licence also requires it to follow the Prosumer Regulations, which deal with rooftop solar. If you plan solar in the estate, ask what the company will pay for exports, because that rule is set by NEPRA and the company's tariff. Our page on net metering and net billing rules in 2026 explains the basic rule.
If something goes wrong with a bill, the Consumer Service Manual's appeal route applies to the company as to any licensee. You can take billing disputes to the provincial inspection office and then to NEPRA.
Common questions
Which area does the DHA Energy Supply Company licence cover?
It covers only DHA City Karachi, and the schedule also names DHA Indus Hills on Super Highway M-9.
When does the licence start?
The term starts on 1 October 2026 and expires on 30 September 2046, a 20 year period.
Has NEPRA approved an electricity tariff for the company?
Not in the papers we read. The company must file a tariff petition within 30 days of grant if none exists, and may charge only what NEPRA approves.
Is DHA City Karachi still a K-Electric consumer?
It was, through Lucky Cement under a one point supply valid to 30 September 2026. The papers do not say how billing moves after that date.
Does this affect other DHA phases or Karachi consumers?
No. The licence is limited to DHA City Karachi. Other areas stay with their existing company.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read NEPRA's determination of July 2026 and the distribution licence DL/11/2026 on NEPRA's housing colonies licensing page on 12 October 2026. We did not read the company's supplier licence application. Billing arrangements after 1 October were not stated in the papers.
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.
