PM Shehbaz directs limits on nationwide load shedding

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting on Friday to tackle the worsening electricity load-shedding issue across Pakistan. The premier directed authorities to ensure no area faces more than two hours of power outages. During the review meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister expressed concern over the prolonged power cuts reported in various cities and regions.

He cited tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, transmission difficulties, and reduced RLNG supply as factors contributing to the reduced electricity generation. The prime minister emphasized the need for immediate action to address the RLNG transmission disruptions and restore balance between demand and supply. He also ordered the formation of Consumer Grievance Redressal Committees at the Discos level, inviting public representatives to join and aim for their operationalization within a week.

The meeting was informed that electricity consumers could register complaints through a helpline 118, after which they would receive a token number and a timeframe for resolution. As of now, despite the monsoon rains, no consumer across the country was without electricity, except for a few in Rajanpur district. The prime minister's directives came as the country's electricity shortfall exceeded 4,000 megawatts, causing extended load-shedding in numerous areas.

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) faced a shortfall of over 1,200MW, while the overall power shortfall rose above 4,000MW. Concerns were heightened in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where load-shedding in certain regions surpassed 12 hours daily, and Karachi and parts of Sindh endured more than 10 hours of load-shedding per day. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) mandated K-Electric to halt unannounced, unscheduled, and excessive load-shedding in Karachi, also prohibiting the utility from cutting power to entire feeders based on AT&C losses, deeming the practice illegal and penalizing paying consumers.