PM directs for no unscheduled load-shedding in Ramazan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed Ministry of Water and Power to ensure there is no unscheduled load-shedding anywhere in the country during the holy month of Ramazan.

“The ministry should ensure uninterrupted power supply all over Pakistan during Sehar and Iftar,” the prime minister directed while chairing a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy in Islamabad on Tuesday to review power supply situation in the country.

He directed for the calculation of accurate figures for estimated power demand and expected supply from existing as well as under implementation plants over the next 12 to 36 months. He also directed for re-verification of the amounts of circular debt from 3rd party auditors.

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Nawaz Sharif said provincial representatives be included in decision making on important issues related to the power sector.

Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif informed the meeting that steps are being taken to end unscheduled load-shedding in different parts of the country.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has complained to the federal government about the fragile and unreliable transmission network which resulted in major power breakdown in Karachi on first day of Ramazan.

In a letter to Federal Minister for Water & Power Khawaja Asif on Sunday, he said that he had already expressed apprehensions with the federal minister that fragile and unreliable transmission network may collapse the power supply during Ramazan and people of Sindh would suffer immensely.

The chief minister said in his letter, “I am writing with reference to my earlier mail dated 24.05.2017 wherein apprehensions were expressed that due to fragile and unreliable transmission network the power supply may collapse during Ramazan, and people of Sindh would suffer immensely.”

“My apprehensions sadly came true on 1st day of Ramazan when 13 districts of rural Sindh and half of Karachi division plunged into darkness, after a 500 KV Hubco-Jamshoro transmission line tripped at around 2:15 am,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah said that the sudden tripping of the fragile high transmission lines created cascading effect not only in HESCO-SEPCO distribution system but also affected K-Electric which was forced to enter into an island mode for system safety by shutting down power supply to large areas of Karachi. The power has not yet been fully restored, he added.

He said the sudden power shutdown did not only deprive the Karachiites from electricity but water supply as well.