Pakistan is facing a worsening electricity crisis even before the peak summer season, with prolonged power cuts affecting daily life and causing serious water shortages in many cities. Sources said the situation has deteriorated across power distribution companies, with a shortfall exceeding 3,500 megawatts. This has led to frequent and unannounced load shedding, particularly in Punjab, including Lahore.
In urban areas, electricity outages of 6 to 8 hours daily have become common. In rural areas, people are facing 12 to 14 hours without power. Night-time outages have also increased, disrupting sleep and routine life.
In the Lahore Electric Supply Company, the shortfall has exceeded 1,000 megawatts. Despite official claims of limited outages, many areas are experiencing prolonged power cuts throughout the night. In several parts of Lahore, electricity is being suspended for one hour every hour. Rural areas are facing even longer outages, sometimes exceeding 8 hours.
Officials said electricity demand drops during the day due to solar usage but rises sharply in the evening, leading to increased load shedding. Many urban areas are also facing low-voltage issues.
Other cities, including Multan and Jhang, are also badly affected. In Multan, urban areas are experiencing 8 to 10 hours of outages, while rural regions are facing up to 12 hours. Additional cuts on high-loss feeders are pushing outages to 14 hours.
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Multan is facing a shortfall of over 500 megawatts, making it difficult to follow official schedules. In Jhang, unannounced outages have exceeded 12 hours, affecting both domestic and commercial users. In Peshawar, the situation is even more difficult, with urban areas facing 15 to 18 hours of load shedding, while nearby areas are experiencing up to 20 hours without electricity.
Citizens say they are paying high electricity bills but are not receiving adequate supply. The prolonged outages have also worsened the water crisis in cities such as Lahore. Officials from the National Transmission and Dispatch Company said the crisis is due to shortages of RLNG, hydropower, and oil. They added that the lack of a proper schedule is causing unannounced load shedding.
Instead of planned outages, people are facing power cuts of up to 6 hours at a time, and the situation may continue for several more days. Meanwhile, a petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court against unannounced load shedding. The application states that citizens are facing injustice despite paying high bills and are not being provided equal electricity supply.
The petitioner also highlighted that business activities are being adversely affected and requested the court to ensure a fair and uninterrupted power supply.
