Karachiites 'have a dream’, hope for uninterrupted power supply in Ramazan

KARACHI: Regardless of whether it is time to start or break the fast, citizens in Pakistan's largest metropolis continue to face major power outages during the holy month of Ramazan, often resorting to protests that don’t bear any fruit.

Saturday marked the seventh day of fasting and of recurring electricity breakdowns in the metropolis, but it seems that K-Electric’s priority is one petty issue: to not let people term local faults as load-shedding.

Demonstrations were held in various neighbourhoods of Gulistan-e-Johar, Korangi, and Malir, with people claiming that three-hour-long power cuts occur after every hour of uninterrupted supply. 

Moreover, numerous areas, which are usually exempt from load-shedding, are also experiencing 6 to 8-hour-long power breakdowns, Geo News reported.

Back to Stone Age: Power outage in Karachi continues during second Sehri

A K-Electric spokesperson acknowledged that some areas in Malir and Shah Faisal have no electricity

Persistent power cuts test peoples' patience

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Areas currently suffering from power outages include Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Malir, Gulistan-e-Johar, Millat Town, and Shah Faisal Colony (from Sehri till morning), alongside North Karachi, New Karachi, Buffer Zone, Liaquatabad, Gharibabad, Gulbahar, Garden, Lines Area, University Road, Mosamiat, and Abbas Town.

According to sources, the present shortfall is estimated to be approximately 500 MW.

KE, however, remained in complete denial about the matter, with its spokesperson saying there has been “no unannounced load-shedding during Sehri or Iftar timings in any part of the city, bar local faults”. The power supplying authority, instead, referred to “load management” procedures as one of the reasons behind electric outages.

With regard to the local faults, KE said its teams are deployed round the clock to fix any issue that comes up.

On the other hand, Minister for Water & Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif late Friday night tweeted the current position of electricity supply.

Asif had mentioned in an earlier post that the government will eradicate load-shedding as per its promise and provided source-based electricity supply update.

“Hydel=6033 MW, Genco=3078 MW, [and] IPPs=9793 MW,” he wrote on his Twitter account.