By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s power and petroleum ministers pledged on Wednesday there would be no electricity or gas outages during the pre-dawn Sehr meal and evening Iftar breaking of the fast throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as the government seeks to ease hardships for millions observing the religious period.
Addressing a joint news conference in the capital, Power Minister Awais Leghari said the decision aimed to ensure uninterrupted utility services during these critical times, barring any major technical faults. “We have decided that there will be absolutely no loadshedding in any area — unless there is a huge fault God forbid — during the timings of Sehr and Iftar,” Leghari told reporters, flanked by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik.
Leghari said even in regions with high-loss electricity feeders, where economic loadshedding is sometimes imposed to curb financial losses, such measures would be suspended during Sehr and Iftar. He emphasized that the initiative reflected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive to prioritize the needs of fasting citizens, ensuring they “do not face any issues” with essential services.
On the gas front, Malik outlined comprehensive plans to maintain steady supplies, particularly during peak usage hours associated with meal preparations. “Complete arrangements have been made to ensure the supply of gas with maximum pressure from 3am to 10:30pm, especially during Sehr and Iftar,” Malik said. He noted that the policy followed consultations with the country’s two main gas utilities, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), to maximize public relief. “Additional volumes have been arranged,” Malik added, without specifying quantities.
To enforce the measures, Leghari announced the setup of a dedicated control room at the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) in Karachi, tasked with real-time monitoring of all electricity feeders nationwide. “It would be ensured that there is no suspension of electricity during these timings across Pakistan,” he said. Citizens encountering power disruptions were urged to report them via the national helpline 118, with Leghari promising immediate resolution.
For gas complaints, Malik directed consumers to the 119 helpline, highlighting the establishment of situation rooms at the SNGPL and SSGC headquarters. Directives have also been issued to regional offices to closely monitor supplies, “especially on the tail ends” of distribution networks, where pressure often drops, he said. Malik described this winter’s gas supply as “comparatively better” than in previous years, attributing improvements to ongoing efforts by both divisions. “With all these efforts, the Power Division and the Petroleum Division are trying to become a source of ease during the blessed month of Ramadan.”
The announcements come as Pakistan prepares for Ramadan to begin on Thursday, following the sighting of the crescent moon in other parts of the world on Tuesday evening. In recent days, the SSGC issued a supply schedule for Karachi and surrounding areas, stating gas would be available from 3am to 9am for Sehr and from 3:30pm to 10pm for Iftar, with potential suspensions outside these windows to balance demand. The SNGPL, meanwhile, proposed daily gas availability from 3am to 10:30pm across Punjab during the month. The federal pledges align with regional demands, including a unanimous resolution passed by the Sindh provincial assembly on Tuesday calling for no gas loadshedding during Sehr and Iftar. “We have already written to the federal government,” Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said after the vote.
Pakistan has long grappled with chronic energy shortages, exacerbated by aging infrastructure, rising demand and financial constraints, leading to frequent loadshedding that disrupts daily life, especially during religious observances. Ramadan, a time of fasting from dawn to dusk, sees heightened electricity and gas usage for cooking and lighting, making reliable supplies a key public concern.
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