Electricity shortage: 14 hours in the dark

Electr­icity proble­ms intens­ifies across Pakist­an with some parts experi­encing up to 14 hours of power outage­s.

LAHORE: Electricity problems intensified across Pakistan on Sunday, with some parts of the country experiencing up to 14 hours of power outages.

The Water and Power Ministry said electricity shortfall in the country reached 5,230 megawatts, with power generation at 11,750 megawatts.

According to the ministry, the current demand for power is 16,662 megawatts, out of which 1,800 megawatts is being supplied to Karachi.

The government on October 2 dissolved the bleeding Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) to follow a crucial IMF diktat and at the same time also hiked electricity prices by another 2 per cent.

Ashraf had said Pepco had been facing huge losses and had been facing a circular debt of Rs400 billion. Distribution companies will now function as independent entities and will be responsible for meeting their own expenses, he said.

Pepco had been putting undue strain on the government’s already limited public resources due to inefficient functioning. Donors had been pressurising the government to de-regulate Pepco and its distribution companies and avoid subsidising electricity.