KARACHI: Karachiites are facing power outages of up to 18 hours, adding to public miseries as residents struggle with water shortages, sleepless nights and disruptions to essential services, including cellular connectivity.
The prolonged outages have compounded hardships for residents, with households reportedly running out of water as electricity interruptions disrupt daily routines.
Cellular service disruptions have further added to public inconvenience, leaving consumers struggling with basic necessities and communication.
Citizens have raised questions about K-Electric’s ability to maintain a reliable power supply and protect consumers from prolonged outages, particularly during nighttime hours.
K-Electric (KE) has attributed the pressure on its power supply system to a nationwide RLNG shortage caused by international supply disruptions and delayed cargoes, which have affected power generation across the country, including its service territory.
In a statement, the utility said it might need to undertake load management as an extreme, last-resort measure during evening and night peak hours, if required. It added that daytime electricity supply would remain largely stable.
However, the prospect of prolonged power cuts has added to concerns among Karachi residents, particularly as areas previously exempted from routine load-shedding have also reportedly experienced electricity suspensions under the load management arrangement.
The situation has raised questions about the protection available to consumers who were previously spared scheduled outages.
According to information available, KE has initiated load management on low-loss feeders connected to various grid stations, while multiple feeders have reportedly been shut down due to overloading of the power system.
Consumers in Malir, Landhi, SITE, Baldia, Mauripur, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Scheme 33, the Old City Area, Lyari and Razzaqabad are also among those expected to face power outages.
While KE has described load management as a last resort, the situation highlights the vulnerability of Karachi’s electricity supply to disruptions in fuel availability.
For consumers already grappling with prolonged outages, the immediate concern is not only the reason behind the crisis but also how quickly the utility can restore normal supply and minimise the impact on daily life.
KE said it was in close coordination with Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) and relevant authorities and was making all efforts to normalise the situation at the earliest.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026