A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the ongoing crisis of unannounced electricity loadshedding across the country.
The application, submitted by the Judicial Activism Panel, argues that citizens continue to face prolonged power outages despite paying high electricity bills. It further states that electricity is not being supplied on an equal basis, while commercial activities and businesses are also suffering due to inconsistent power availability.
The petitioner has urged the court to intervene by ensuring uninterrupted and non-discriminatory electricity supply, and to issue directives for an immediate end to unannounced loadshedding.
Peak-hour electricity load shedding announced
The government of Pakistan yesterday announced that consumers of two cities will not have to face the planned peak-hour electricity loadshedding of up to two and a half hours under the peak-hour relief strategy.
According to the details, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and K-Electric will be exempted from the electricity load shedding in the rest of the country.
A spokesperson from the Power Division said that the decision has been taken in order to reduce the dependence on furnace oil.
The Power Division stated that electricity consumption rises significantly during peak hours.
It also noted that power generation from hydropower plants has dropped considerably in recent days. But, as per the details, the price of electricity will be increased by Rs1.50.
The federal government has decided to carry out about 2.25 hours of daily electricity loadshedding across Pakistan.
The decision has been taken to avoid a possible increase of up to Rs6 per unit in power prices.
Pakistan load shedding
In a statement, the Power Division said that overall electricity production in the country is stable and enough to meet demand. However, demand rises sharply during peak hours, from 5 PM to 1 AM.
It also added that electricity generation from hydropower decreases in the summer season, which will make the situation even more difficult.
To meet the extra demand, they would have to use costly fuels like furnace oil. This can cause an increase in the electricity prices.
To prevent this, the government will cut power supply for around 2.25 hours during peak hours each day.
This step will reduce the use of expensive fuel and keep the prices under control.
The Power Division said the situation is being closely watched under the supervision of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif. The PM has directed officials to make sure electricity prices do not rise too much.
