ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Thursday sharply criticized K-Electric over its decision to impose commercial tariffs on employees living in the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) Township. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production, chaired by Syed Hafeezuddin, directed the utility company’s CEO to appear at the next session to explain the “unjustified” charges in detail. The issue of the commercial tariff levied on PSM employees was discussed extensively during the meeting. Committee members expressed their dissatisfaction and called for a comprehensive report on the matter, including the total amount collected from PSM employees so far. The committee also voiced concerns about taxes being collected from consumers by the sugar, cement, and tobacco industries, with some members expressing doubts about whether the collected funds are being properly remitted to the government. In response, the committee recommended inviting representatives from these industries, as well as officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), to the next meeting for further examination. The committee adopted the report of a sub-committee formed to investigate theft and mismanagement at PSM and decided to extend its mandate for another month to ensure continued progress. Concerns were raised again about ongoing theft activities at PSM, which have caused significant damage to the steel mills. Members urged the Ministry of Industries and Production to take decisive action to curb these activities. Additionally, the committee approved six ongoing PSDP projects for the fiscal year 2026-27 after the ministry addressed concerns raised in the previous meeting held on February 16, 2026. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026