Pakistan faces upto 8-hour loadshedding as shortfall reaches 6,500

LAHORE: Electricity shortfall in Pakistan has reached 6500 along with power outages of upto eight hours in the country, despite an announcement from the government to bring down loadshedding to three and a half hours, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources in the power division, the demand for electricity peaked at 28,000 MW against the available supply of 22,000 MW, bringing the shortfall to 6500 MW.

They said that some of the urban centres and rural areas are experiencing loadshedding between six to eight hours, contrary to the government’s claim of reducing the duration.

Moreover, the electricity quota of LESCO has been raised to 5000 MW against an existing demand of 5,700 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 700 MW. The LESCO has issued a loadshedding duration of a three-and-a-half-hour.

Meanwhile, the sources shared that an improvement in supply of gas, and furnace oil have been witnessed to the power plants and the duration of loadshedding will be reduced in the coming days.

It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has announced that the power loadshedding would be reduced to 3.5 hours from Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad flanked by federal ministers, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the country’s electricity demand has exceeded 25,000MW.

He pointed out that when the current government assumed charge, the electricity generation capacity was at 17,000MW which was increased to more than 21,000MW.

Previously, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the power authorities to limit loadshedding across the country to two hours, warning that he wanted results not explanations over the matter.

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