ISLAMABAD (April 17, 2026) — Power Minister Awais Leghari has officially confirmed that the country is facing between six to seven hours of daily power outages, nearly triple the duration previously announced. The government cited a perfect storm of regional conflict, fuel supply disruptions, and extreme weather as the primary drivers of the current energy shortfall.
The Energy Crisis
- Current power deficit is estimated at 3,400MW.
- National demand surged from 9,000MW to 20,000MW in just six days (April 9–15).
- The Middle East crisis has severely disrupted LNG imports, leaving 6,000MW of gas-based plants mostly idle.
- Hydropower generation dropped to 1,600MW recently due to reduced water discharges following seasonal rains.
‘Severe Ripple Effects’ To Hit Pakistan If Energy Crisis Continues – Former 🇵🇰 Minister For Information & Culture, Mushahid Hussain Sayed
Even the capital, Islamabad, is affected by blackouts “morning, noon, and night,” he says. pic.twitter.com/7p6HLy4OMY
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) April 17, 2026
Factors “beyond government control”
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Leghari explained that the current crisis is largely due to external shocks. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has made spot purchases of LNG impossible and interrupted existing supply chains. Consequently, gas-based plants are currently providing only 500MW using local gas, far below their capacity. Additionally, lower water requirements for irrigation in the provinces had led to reduced dam discharges, further denting the national grid.
Why is there 8 hours of load shedding in Punjab and KP right now?
1: Incompetence. Qatar Gas hasn’t sent a cargo since March 4. The government has had one and a half months to restart domestic gas supply. The government has failed to do so. It should not have taken more than two…
— Miftah Ismail (@MiftahIsmail) April 17, 2026
Emergency measures
To combat the shortage, the government has taken several emergency steps:
Nuclear Power: Scheduled maintenance for nuclear plants has been postponed until July to keep them online.
Dam Discharges: Water release from dams has been increased from 15,000 to 25,000 cusecs to boost hydro output.
Market Closures: Early closure of markets has successfully shaved off 1,200–1,400MW from peak demand.
Equitable distribution and price stability
The Minister insisted that the load management is being applied equitably across urban and rural areas, with most outages concentrated during evening peak hours. He apologized for the “inconveniences,” stating that he is directly answerable to the public. However, he noted a silver lining: by avoiding expensive furnace oil and diesel-based generation, the government has kept the upcoming fuel cost adjustment to Rs1.3 per unit, lower than the Rs1.8 seen in previous months.
Looking ahead
While the situation is expected to improve slightly with increased hydropower, the Minister warned that stability remains tied to international developments. He appealed to the nation to conserve energy and indicated that regular LNG supplies may not normalize until at least mid-May.
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