Pakistan power crisis deepens as Karachi reels from 24-hour blackouts

In Karachi, a deepening electricity crisis has plunged residents into 24-hour long blackouts, according to activists and reports. The issue was highlighted at a press conference organized by the Civil Society Collective for Clean Energy for Karachi at the Karachi Press Club. Speakers warned that the extended power cuts are disrupting daily life, impacting education, work and hygiene.

North Karachi, Nazimabad and parts of Gulistan-i-Jauhar have been particularly affected, facing between 16 to 24 hours without power. Protests and traffic disruptions were reported in Lyari and other parts of the old city. K-Electric, the city's power provider, listed over 615 feeders for power cuts of up to 12 hours a day, affecting nearly a third of the city's feeders.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Qazi Khizer said the prolonged outages are particularly affecting working-class communities, contributing to mental stress. He argued that reliable electricity should be treated as an essential service, not a privilege. Critics have questioned whether K-Electric's privatization has delivered the promised improvements in service.