Pakistan’s Power Minister Awais Leghari has announced that electricity loadshedding has come to an end following the arrival of a liquefied natural gas shipment. The development comes after weeks of power outages experienced across the country in April.
In a televised statement, the minister explained that the recent outages were caused by a temporary gas shortage. He linked the disruption to the broader impact of the United States and Iran situation, which affected global energy supply chains.
Gas shortage behind recent outages
According to the minister, the issue did not stem from any failure in the country’s power infrastructure. Instead, the shortage of gas supply limited electricity generation, leading to increased loadshedding in multiple areas.
He provided a timeline of the outages, noting that electricity cuts reached up to five hours on April 13 and 14. The situation worsened on April 15 and 16, when outages extended to around seven hours in some regions.
As supply conditions improved, loadshedding gradually reduced. The country experienced near zero outages for several days before the duration dropped to around two to two and a half hours daily by the end of April.
LNG imports help stabilize supply
To manage the shortfall, authorities arranged expensive gas purchases from the spot market. These measures helped maintain electricity generation during the peak of the crisis.
The arrival of the first LNG cargo marked a turning point in stabilizing the situation. Pakistan LNG Limited had earlier secured shipments priced between 17.997 and 18.88 dollars per million British thermal units, with deliveries scheduled between late April and early May.
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With the new supply in place, the minister confirmed that no further loadshedding is planned. He expressed confidence that the existing transmission system will be able to meet electricity demand during the upcoming summer months.
The announcement signals relief for consumers who faced extended outages during April. It also highlights the country’s reliance on imported fuel to support power generation during periods of high demand.
Authorities will continue to monitor supply conditions to ensure stability in the energy sector as temperatures rise.
