Power crisis worsens in Pakistan, electricity shortfall reaches 7,000MW
On the other hand, NEPRA is increasing the power tariffs at the request of the power distribution companies.
ISLAMABAD: The loadshedding rate has become uncontrollable across the country on which the senior anchorperson Gharida Farooqi blasted the incumbent government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and raised many questions.
The power shortfall has exceeded 7000 megawatts in the country, whereas, the duration of load shedding in all small and big cities increased up to 10 to 14 hours while the villages are also facing a worst situation.
On the other hand, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is increasing the power tariffs at the request of the power distribution companies.
A day earlier, at the request of power distribution companies, the authority increased the price of electricity by Rs3.99 per unit.
Earlier, the NEPRA had heard the request of distribution companies to increase the price of electricity by Rs4.5 per unit. The petition filed by the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) stated that 12.55 billion units of electricity was generated in the month of April at a total cost of Rs133 billion.
Gharida Farooqi said in a Twitter message that there was zero loadshedding during Imran Khan’s government as power outages were ended in all big cities while the smaller cities were facing one-hour loadshedding. She criticised that the whole country is facing the menace of loadshedding now.
The journalist questioned the incumbent government, “If oil reserves were not present and all power plants were closed during Imran Khan’s government then how electricity was being provided?”
آخرکیاوجہ ہے؛عمران خان حکومت میں تو لوڈشیڈنگ زیرو ہو گئی تھی۔بڑے شہروں میں مکمل ختم تھی؛چھوٹےشہروں میں بھی کبھی کبھار ایک گھنٹےکیلئے بجلی جاتی تھی۔لیکن اب تو پورے ملک میں لگاتار بجلی لوڈشیڈنگ کا بحران ہے۔ عمران حکومت میں اگر تیل نہیں تھا یا پاور پلانٹ بند تھے تو بجلی کیسے تھی؟؟
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) May 31, 2022
Similarly, Arifa Noor, anchorperson of Dawn News, asked Musaddiq Malik, “Why government is continuing unannounced load shedding like raids on PTI? We have no place to flee”
Leading researcher Mehreen Hussain commented on Arif Noor’s tweet that the authorities should at least provide a schedule of power outages so the people could plan their professional and domestic tasks.
Announced and unannounced loadshedding is not new in Pakistan. The governments in other countries usually find a solution to address the problem as a top priority, but the governments in Pakistan always go contrary by giving justification while the opposition runs its politics.
The PML-N leaders did not stop criticising the PTI government over loadshedding but now, it is doing nothing but blaming the previous government’s failures.
