Pakistan, April 23 -- Pakistan's Federal Minister for Energy Awais Leghari has ordered an immediate halt to electricity purchases that exceed the national least-cost benchmark, as authorities move to tighten oversight of the power sector and reduce consumer costs.

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The directive comes after a review revealed that several distribution companies (Discos) were purchasing electricity from Small Power Producers (SPPs) and Captive Power Plants (CPPs) at rates higher than permitted under regulatory guidelines. Officials warned that such off-merit procurement practices were contributing to increased electricity bills for consumers.

According to the Energy Ministry, the review...