ISLAMABAD: Prolonged power outages across Pakistan have significantly disrupted business operations and educational activities in multiple cities, with load-shedding durations rising sharply in recent days.
In Karachi, scheduled load-shedding has exceeded 12 hours in several areas. Even localities previously exempt from outages are now facing extended power cuts lasting several hours.
Similarly, Peshawar is experiencing severe electricity shortages, with outages stretching up to 16 hours a day. In Quetta, residents are dealing with 4 to 6 hours of load-shedding, while other districts of Balochistan are witnessing routine outages of 8 to 10 hours.
According to sources from Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Lahore is not currently facing unannounced load-shedding, with the power shortfall limited to around 100 megawatts.
However, rural areas and smaller towns across Punjab are still experiencing 2 to 3 hours of daily outages.
The escalating power crisis is raising concerns about economic productivity and academic continuity, particularly as electricity demand continues to rise with increasing temperatures.
