Leghari defends the rate cut as a necessary recalibration. “Our duty is not only to current and future net metering users but also to the millions who bear this cost,” he stated on X. Existing contracts will remain untouched, ensuring a 4–5-year payback period for new users—still a reasonable incentive, he argues. The minister insists this isn’t a loss but a redistribution of fixed infrastructure costs that solar users allegedly evade, leaving vulnerable households to pick up the tab.
Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, however, has challenged this narrative. In a detailed rebuttal on X, he questioned the Rs 150 billion figure, pointing out that DISCOs purchased just 1,269 GWh from solar consumers last year, amounting to Rs 34.3 billion in bill reductions—not Rs 150 billion. “This is less than 1% of DISCOs’ total purchases and a fraction of the 24,020 GWh lost in transmission and distribution (T&D),” Ismail noted. He argued that slashing buyback rates for new users—while grandfathering wealthier early adopters—punishes the middle class now turning to solar to escape crippling Rs 48.8 per unit grid tariffs (plus taxes). “Why not focus on reducing T&D losses, which dwarf solar’s impact?” he asked.
