No area to face more than two hours of load-shedding, PM Shehbaz orders

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to ensure that no area across the country faces more than two hours of load-shedding, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The prime minister issued the directive on Friday while chairing a meeting on electricity load management and expressed concern over the increase in load-shedding across the country.

The meeting was told that Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) supplies had been affected by the ongoing situation in the Middle East and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption reduced electricity generation and led to load management to maintain a balance between power demand and supply, the PMO said.

Shehbaz ordered immediate steps to address the disruption in RLNG supplies. He also directed officials to use all available resources effectively, keeping the regional situation and future requirements in view.

“The prime minister said that no area should experience load shedding for more than two hours,” the statement read.

The prime minister also ordered the formation of Consumer Grievance Redressal Committees at the distribution company level within a week to address complaints related to electricity transmission and power supply.

He directed authorities to include public representatives in the committees.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Climate Change Minister Mushtaq Malik, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari, Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah and other senior government officials attended the meeting.

The ongoing US-Iran war, which began on February 28, has disrupted RLNG cargo supplies from Qatar through the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption prompted the government to purchase five expensive cargoes from the spot market in July.

RLNG’s sale price also recorded its biggest increase in its decade-long history, while the cost of RLNG-based power generation rose 242 percent to Rs47.4 per unit in July from less than Rs14 in April.