Federal Minister for Power Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari has said that load shedding is being carried out equally in both urban and rural areas, adding that the current situation is temporary.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he stated that the government wants to keep the public informed about the electricity situation. He apologized for the inconvenience caused, saying that equal load shedding is being implemented across cities and villages.
He further explained that the energy crisis has worsened due to gas shortages following the Gulf War, which has impacted electricity generation. He added that the government has always worked to bring people out of darkness and is promoting solar and renewable energy sources.
The minister said that the suspension of LNG supplies has created a major fuel shortage, while hydropower generation has also declined, leading to a shortfall of around 1,600 megawatts.
Additionally, more than 3,000 megawatts of electricity shortfall has been caused due to the unavailability of LNG.
He noted that electricity demand in April ranged between 9,000 and 20,000 megawatts, and when demand exceeds 16,500 megawatts, load shedding increases. However, he expressed hope that the situation will improve as hydropower production rises.
Awais Leghari added that around 1,400 megawatts of electricity is currently being generated using furnace oil, reiterating that the load shedding issue is temporary. He also mentioned that a recent announcement of two-and-a-half hours of load shedding was made to control electricity prices.
He further stated that a shortfall of 500 megawatts leads to an additional one hour of load shedding, and that power cuts are also being applied to the industrial sector. However, no load shedding is being carried out in Hyderabad and areas served by K-Electric, which is currently receiving 2,100 megawatts from the national grid.
Responding to a question, he said that if load shedding continues even after global conditions improve, he himself will take responsibility.
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