01/05/2026
The Minister explained that around 13–14 days ago, the public faced load shedding due to a shortage of gas supply. On April 13 and 14, up to five hours of load shedding was implemented. However, from April 17 to 19, no load management occurred. Between April 19 and 29, load shedding was reduced to approximately 2 to 2.5 hours per day.
He clarified that the power shortage was not due to any system failure, inefficiency, or lack of generation capacity. Instead, it was caused by gas shortages, partly linked to disruptions influenced by global tensions, including the Iran–United States tensions.
The Minister emphasized that generating electricity through diesel or furnace oil would have significantly increased costs, placing an additional financial burden on consumers. Therefore, controlled load management was necessary to maintain affordability.
He further highlighted that hydropower generation has now increased to approximately 6,000 MW, compared to around 1,000 MW previously. Water releases from dams are managed by IRSA based on provincial needs.
Addressing misconceptions, he clarified that Pakistan’s electricity generation capacity is not 46,000 MW as commonly claimed, but around 32,000 MW, which varies throughout the year.
The Minister credited timely government actions for overcoming the crisis and expressed hope that the public will not face load shedding again. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting consumers from expensive electricity and ensuring a stable power supply moving forward.