A severe power crisis has led the Pakistan government to ban weddings after 10pm in Islamabad and restore the 5-day work week in public offices. The country has been reeling under the effects of a worsening electricity crisis with urban and rural areas experiencing extended power cuts.
The current power crisis in the country, which has also affected Pakistan's economy, has forced the National Economic Council (NEC) to order the closure of markets across the country at 8.30 pm (local time).
The Wednesday decision, taken during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by the chief ministers of all provinces, except for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM, was taken in order to deal with the energy crisis.
How bad is the energy crisis?
Power Minister Khurrum Dastagir in an address to the press said the early closure of markets and work-from-home arrangements could save electricity.
The electricity being produced in the country is 22,000 MW and the requirement is 26,000 MW, said the minister, adding that there was about 4,000MW energy shortfall in the country. However, some media reports from Pakistan have estimated the shortfall to be at around 7,800 MW.
According to a June 7 report in the Daily Times, Karachi at that time was experiencing outages going up to 15 hours, while Lahore was without power for nearly 12 hours.
The federal cabinet has also restored the Saturday holiday in government offices to curb the use of energy and gradually bring down electricity load shedding to two hours a day by the end of June.
The Daily Times newspaper quoting sources, reported that the restriction on wedding functions in the country's capital is being implemented on the instructions of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The Islamabad Police and city administration have been directed to strictly implement the ban, the sources said.
The sources said that in case of violation, strict action will be taken by Islamabad administration.
What has caused this crisis?
According to The Indian Express, most power plants in Pakistan run on imported fuel, making the country vulnerable to global supply shocks.
The global energy shortage due to the Ukraine invasion has caused Pakistan’s energy import costs almost double over the past few months.
Prime Minister Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan does not have enough money to buy oil and gas, ARY News reported.
Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves are under severe stress and declined by USD 190 million to USD 10.308 billion during the week ended on May 6, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
Pakistan is looking towards the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restore a USD 6 billion package agreed in 2019. So far half of the promised money had been given. Pakistan would immediately get a USD 1 billion loan tranche from the IMF once the two sides sort out their differences, according to media reports.
With inputs from agencies
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