PM places two-hour cap on power load-shedding

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered the authorities to cap load-shedding at two hours in any area, as officials blamed disruptions in RLNG supplies amid regional tensions for a fresh squeeze on electricity generation and worsening power outages across the country. Chairing a high-level meeting on power load management, the prime minister expressed displeasure over the increase in outages in several cities and directed the authorities to deploy all available resources to prevent the power shortfall from being passed on to consumers in the form of prolonged load-shedding. Officials told the meeting that interruptions in the supply of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG), caused by the regional security situation and transportation difficulties, had widened the gap between electricity demand and supply and forced authorities to resort to load management. The briefing effectively placed the latest increase in power cuts on external supply disruptions, with officials telling the prime minister that reduced RLNG availability had led to a decline in power generation. Sharif, however, made it clear that the supply problem could not become a justification for unchecked outages. “All available resources should be utilised effectively so that load-shedding in any area does not exceed two hours, ” he directed. He ordered the authorities to take immediate steps to deal with interruptions in RLNG transportation and directed them to prepare for future requirements so that disruptions in fuel supplies did not translate into prolonged electricity outages for consumers. The prime minister also ordered all power distribution companies (Discos) to establish Consumer Grievance Redressal Committees within one week to deal with complaints regarding electricity supply and other transmission-related problems. Significantly, he directed that consumer representatives be included in the committees, apparently aimed at bringing greater accountability to the handling of mounting consumer complaints. Officials informed the meeting that consumers could lodge electricity-related complaints through helpline 118 and would receive a token number along with an estimated timeframe for resolution. The meeting was also told that monsoon rains were not currently disrupting electricity supplies across the country, except for six consumers in Rajanpur district. This left RLNG supply disruptions, rather than the rains, as the principal explanation offered to the prime minister for the decline in power generation and the resulting pressure on the national electricity system. The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to urgently address the RLNG supply disruption and ensure that the impact of the power shortfall was not disproportionately shifted onto consumers. The meeting was attended by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Power Division Minister Awais Leghari, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Kiani and senior government officials. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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