Circular excuses

As the country grapples with yet another round of prolonged power outages, the national electricity crisis has re-emerged as a defining challenge of the summer. In recent days, several urban and rural regions have reported power cuts stretching beyond 10 hours, often without prior notice. With extreme heatwaves affecting large parts of the country, these outages pose a severe public health risk. According to the power authorities, the immediate causes are tied to circular debt, generation shortfalls and fuel supply gaps.

However, this is hardly a new narrative. Pakistan’s energy sector has suffered from chronic mismanagement, weak regulatory oversight and over-reliance on imported fuels for many years. The people deserve more than recycled statements and temporary patchwork. A long-term, integrated energy policy is now a national imperative. This must include investment in grid modernisation, incentivising local renewable energy and enforcing strict accountability mechanisms across DISCOs.

Shaheer Ali

Sukkur