PM Shehbaz directs authorities to cap load-shedding to two hours | The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday took notice of persistent electricity load-shedding in the country and directed authorities to ensure no area faces more than two hours of load-shedding

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier chaired a review meeting on electricity load management in Islamabad.

He expressed displeasure at the worsening load-shedding situation in several cities and took notice of prolonged power outages across the country.

“No area should experience load shedding for more than two hours,” he said, directing authorities to utilise all available resources effectively to provide relief to the public.

The meeting was informed that the recent situation in the region, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and transmission difficulties had affected the supply of RLNG, resulting in a reduction in electricity generation and necessitating load management to maintain a balance between demand and supply.

“Keeping in view the situation in the region and future requirements, immediate measures be taken to address disruptions in RLNG transmission,” the prime minister directed.

Read: Load-shedding plagues Punjab as shortfall rises

He also ordered the establishment of Consumer Grievance Redressal Committees at the Discos level to address public complaints related to electricity transmission and other issues across the country.

The prime minister directed that public representatives should also be included in the grievance redressal committees and that the committees should be made functional within a week.

The meeting was told that electricity consumers could register their complaints through helpline 118. Upon registration, a consumer is provided with a token number and a timeframe for resolution of the complaint.

It was further informed that, at present, apart from six electricity consumers in Rajanpur district, no consumer across the country was without electricity due to monsoon rains.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushtaq Malik, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Leghari, Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani and relevant senior government officials.

The prime minister’s action came as the country’s electricity shortfall had exceeded 4,000 megawatts, leading to prolonged load-shedding in various areas.

Sources said the shortfall faced by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) had crossed 1,200MW, while the overall power shortfall had risen above 4,000MW.

The situation has also triggered concerns in the provinces. Last Friday, the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against severe electricity load-shedding across the province, with lawmakers questioning the government’s energy policies.

Also Read: NEPRA orders K-Electric to end load-shedding

The problem has become more severe in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where load-shedding in some areas has reportedly exceeded 12 hours a day.

Karachi and other parts of Sindh have also been facing prolonged power cuts, with residents having to endure more than 10 hours of load-shedding a day.

Amid the situation, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) ordered K-Electric to immediately stop unannounced, unscheduled and excessive load-shedding in Karachi.

The regulator also banned the utility from cutting power to entire feeders on the basis of aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, saying the practice unlawfully penalised paying consumers.