Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered electricity authorities to ensure that load-shedding does not exceed two hours in any area as disruptions to imported gas supplies put fresh pressure on Pakistan’s power system.
The directive followed a review of electricity load management after outages increased in several cities. Officials told the meeting that interruptions in supplies of re-gasified liquefied natural gas, or RLNG, had reduced electricity generation.
Regional tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and transportation difficulties were cited among the factors affecting gas supplies.
What changed
The federal government has imposed a specific two-hour ceiling on load-shedding rather than simply directing power-sector authorities to reduce outages.
Shehbaz also ordered immediate measures to address RLNG supply disruptions and told officials to use available resources to prevent the generation shortfall from translating into prolonged power cuts for consumers.
Why it matters
Gas-fired generation is an important part of Pakistan’s electricity system. When imported LNG supplies are disrupted, the impact can move quickly from international energy markets into domestic power availability.
The order therefore links Pakistan’s electricity situation directly to the wider energy disruption associated with instability around major Middle Eastern shipping routes.
A two-hour limit would be significant for households and businesses if it is consistently implemented, particularly in areas experiencing longer outages.
What happens next
The test will be implementation. Power-sector authorities will have to manage constrained fuel supplies, electricity demand and distribution limitations while keeping outages within the prime minister’s ceiling.
Further disruption to LNG shipping or regional energy infrastructure could make that task more difficult. Consumers will therefore be watching both actual outage durations and the government’s efforts to secure alternative or more reliable fuel supplies.