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Government Admits to 7-Hour Power Outages as Energy Crisis Deepens
A sudden surge in demand and a global gas crisis have pushed Pakistan's power grid to the limit. 💡 Power Minister Awais Leghari has apologized for the 7-hour daily outages, citing the Iran-Israel conflict and low hydropower output as key drivers. While the government prioritizes price stability over supply, citizens are urged to conserve energy during peak hours.
ND
by News Desk
2026-04-17
Government Admits to 7-Hour Power Outages as Energy Crisis Deepens

The federal government has formally acknowledged that the country is currently facing six to seven hours of daily power outages, a figure nearly triple the initial estimate. Power Minister Awais Leghari addressed the nation on Thursday, admitting that the "load management" duration has increased significantly due to a combination of geopolitical tensions and domestic supply constraints. 

The Root Causes: A Perfect Storm

Minister Leghari cited several critical factors beyond the government’s immediate control that have crippled the national grid:

  • Middle East Crisis & LNG Disruption: The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel has led to a major disruption in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports. With Qatar declaring force majeure and global shipping affected, Pakistan’s LNG-based plants are currently producing only a fraction of their capacity.

  • Dramatic Demand Surge: In just six days (April 9 to April 15), electricity demand plummeted to 9,000MW before skyrocketing to a peak of 20,000MW, creating a massive 3,400MW shortfall.

  • Hydropower Slump: Lower water releases from the Tarbela and Mangla dams—driven by reduced provincial irrigation requirements following recent rains—have slashed hydropower generation by nearly 1,600MW

  • Strategic Response & Price Control

    Despite the outages, the government insists that these measures are part of a "peak relief strategy" to protect consumers from massive tariff hikes.

    • Cost Management: By opting for load management instead of running expensive furnace oil and diesel plants at full capacity, the government hopes to limit the fuel cost adjustment to approximately Rs 1.3 per unit, rather than a potential hike of Rs 5 to Rs 6 per unit.

    • Equitable Distribution: The Minister emphasized that outages are being distributed "without discrimination" between urban and rural areas, though they are primarily focused on nighttime and peak hours.

    • Hydropower Boost: To provide immediate relief, water discharges from dams have been increased by 10,000 cusecs, which is expected to gradually improve power generation in the coming days.
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#BreakingNews #Pakistan #PowerOutage #Loadshedding #EnergyCrisis2026 #AwaisLeghari #MiddleEastConflict #LNG #Hydropower #EconomyPK #Islamabad #Lahore #Karachi
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