Power Minister Awais Leghari announced on Friday that electricity load-shedding has ended across Pakistan after a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment arrived. The minister gave the good news in a televised message and press briefing.
Leghari explained that the recent power outages were caused by a temporary shortage of gas, not by any system failure or poor planning. The problem started because of the ongoing war between the US and Iran, which disrupted global energy supplies and affected LNG deliveries to Pakistan. In mid-April, many areas faced up to seven hours of load-shedding daily. The government worked quickly to reduce this, bringing it down to two or three hours by late April.
To solve the crisis, authorities bought expensive LNG from the spot market. The first cargo arrived on April 30 at the Pakistan GasPort terminal. This extra supply helped restart power plants and boosted electricity generation. Hydropower also improved a lot, rising from about 1,000 MW to nearly 6,000 MW.
The minister assured people that there will be no more scheduled load-shedding. He said the system is now stable and ready for higher demand in the hot summer months. Total generation is around 32,000 MW. However, he warned that using costly LNG may increase electricity bills for consumers.
This relief comes as a welcome break for families and businesses after weeks of discomfort. The government says it will keep working to manage energy needs better in the future.
