The government has announced more than two hours of daily loadshedding during peak hours as part of efforts to manage rising energy costs and avoid a significant increase in electricity tariffs. According to the power division, electricity supply will be suspended for approximately 2.25 hours between 5 pm and 1 am across the country.

Officials said the move aims to reduce reliance on expensive imported fuels, particularly furnace oil, which would otherwise push electricity prices sharply higher. The decision comes at a time when Pakistan is facing fuel supply constraints due to disruptions in liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports linked to the ongoing Middle East crisis.

The government maintained that while power generation capacity is sufficient, managing peak-hour demand remains a major challenge, especially due to reduced hydropower output.

Authorities emphasized that the controlled outages are intended to protect consumers from steep tariff hikes, which could have increased electricity prices by up to Rs5–6 per unit without such measures.

The situation is being closely monitored under the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has instructed officials to minimise the financial burden on the public.