Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Monday said the government was making concerted efforts not only to provide immediate relief to consumers from the load shedding but also to protect them from an additional burden on electricity prices in the future
ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 31st Aug, 2026) Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Monday said the government was making concerted efforts not only to provide immediate relief to consumers from the load shedding but also to protect them from an additional burden on electricity prices in the future.
Talking to media along with Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, he said the government had taken all possible measures to provide relief to the people and meet the country’s energy requirements.
Leghari attributed the current gas supply constraints to the ongoing US-Iran conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which had affected the availability of gas cargoes.
He said difficulties in the supply of gas and RLNG due to regional and global energy challenges had created difficulties in power generation and meeting electricity demand.
However, he added, the government was taking effective measures to improve power supply and minimize the transfer of additional energy costs to consumers.
The minister said efforts were under way to enhance the availability of local gas, arrange additional RLNG and address the situation through coordinated efforts among energy-sector institutions.
The minister said reduced gas supplies were causing difficulties in meeting electricity demand during night-time hours.
He said gas-fired power plants generated around 5,000 MW and played a particularly important role in meeting electricity demand at night, when the national demand increased to 20,000–25,000 MW.
He clarified that there was currently no government-imposed reduction in electricity supply during daytime hours and that no reduction had been made during the day over the past week.
However, he said the sharp increase in electricity demand at night made it difficult to meet the requirement without gas-fired power plants, resulting in temporary load management.
He said government could purchase expensive gas from the spot market, but doing so would ultimately increase the cost of electricity for consumers by around Rs5 to Rs6 per unit in the following months.
“We are trying to save the public today from paying thousands of rupees more in their electricity bills in the next one or two months,” he said.
The minister said the government was utilizing available diesel and coal-based power plants and maximizing electricity supply from the northern region.
He said there was currently no need for additional load shedding in areas such as Hyderabad and other parts where sufficient electricity was available, except in areas where power theft was taking place.
He said unnecessary load-shedding was not being carried out in areas where electricity theft was not taking place, while areas affected by power theft were facing load management according to the prescribed schedule.
He acknowledged that people were facing difficulties due to the prevailing hot and humid weather, saying the government fully understood their concerns, although some factors were beyond its direct control.
Leghari assured the people, on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Petroleum Ministry and the government, that efforts were under way to resolve the gas supply issue at the earliest.
He said the government was making efforts to maximize the availability of local gas for power generation and expressed hope that positive results would emerge within a few days.
The minister said some areas had experienced around three hours of load-shedding during each of the previous three nights, but the duration was reduced to around one hour last night due to a decline in electricity demand.
He expressed hope that electricity demand would decline further during the coming week because of weather conditions and that the government would also arrange additional gas supplies.
Leghari appreciated the Petroleum Ministry for diverting locally available gas towards the power sector when RLNG supplies were constrained, saying the gas had been provided at reasonable rates to minimize the impact on consumers.
He thanked consumers for their patience and assured them that the government was making efforts to provide relief and ensure improved electricity supply.
