Pakistan Battles Power Crisis Amid Heat, Up to 16-Hour Outages Reported

Pakistan is facing a severe power crisis. The national shortfall has reached around 6,500 megawatts, while demand climbs to approximately 22,000MW against a generation capacity of about 15,400MW.

The gap between supply and demand has triggered widespread load-shedding across both urban and rural areas. Outages have been extended and in many cases unannounced, disrupting daily life and economic activity.

Power generation from various sources remains insufficient. Hydropower contributes around 1,500MW, thermal sources about 9,250MW, wind 1,200MW, solar 400MW, bagasse 200MW, and nuclear energy roughly 2,850MW.

The situation has been exacerbated by regional tensions affecting energy supply and a seasonal spike in electricity demand due to heat. A spokesperson for the Power Division said load management of two to two-and-a-half hours is being scheduled between 5.00 p.m. and 1.00 a.m., but consumers report outages far exceeding official schedules.

In Lahore, electricity demand stands at around 3,000MW while supply remains near 2,000MW, resulting in extensive outages affecting businesses and households. In Quetta, outages range between 10 and 12 hours, extending up to 16 hours in interior Balochistan.

In Karachi, power cuts lasting 10 to 12 hours have become routine, with even exempt localities facing outages under the pretext of faults. Similarly, in Peshawar, unannounced load-shedding has intensified, with outages lasting up to 12–14 hours in urban areas and as much as 20 hours in some outskirts.

Authorities say improvements may be expected in the coming days with increased water releases and better fuel availability, including RLNG. However, for now, the crisis continues to weigh heavily on households and businesses nationwide.