Pakistan begins the consultations of interested parties about market reforms

• Ismo is conducting a workshop to open the dialogue of interested parties.
• The reform aims to auction 800MW wheel demand.
• Leghari points out that CTBCM was built on worldwide best practices

Islamabad: Pakistan has started consultations by interested parties regarding the long -awaited competitive bilateral contract (CTBCM), The news reported.

CTBCM is a power auction framework aimed at distributing 800 Megawatts of wheel demand and the liberalization of the electricity sector.

Speaking to a laboratory organized by the Independent System and the Market Operator (ISMO) on Friday, Federal Minister of Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said the initiative would reshape electricity trade, allowing the sectors to buy power.

He stressed that CTBCM was not an experiment but a carefully designed reform based on international best practices.

“The auction frame is the cornerstone of the CTBCM application,” Leghari told a virtual address. “It will not only reduce industrial costs, but also enhance Pakistan’s competitiveness in export markets by ensuring access to net and cost -effective energy.”

ISMO officials described the registration process for market participants, contract liabilities and auction rules aimed at securing transparency and fair competition.

Interested parties who participated in regulators, electricity producers and consumer representatives in Q&A sessions and discussion on the challenges of market design, wheel arrangements and renewable integration.

Leghari said in 2025-26 the “year of service to consumers”, committing that the government would return Ismo and Nepra to CTBCM. Without reform, he warned, ineffectiveness will insist and consumers will continue to bring the cost of a stagnant system.

Officials said the consultation marked a turning point on the journey of Pakistan to a transparent, modern electricity market.

With the creation of an option for industrial buyers and the opening area for new investment, CTBCM is placed as a reform of the cornerstone to stabilize prices and ensure reliable energy for the economy.