Keyword: Pakistan, Power crisis, NITB
Power crisis hits Pakistan: Telecom companies issue a shutdown warning for internet services
The Pakistan National Information Technology Board (NITB) issued a warning on Friday that due to the prolonged power outage in the nation, mobile phone and internet services might be shut down.
The NITB posted on Twitter that “Telecom operators in Pakistan have cautioned about shuttering mobile and internet services owing to long hours of power outages nationwide, since the interruption is causing challenges and hindering their operations.”
The NIBT’s announcement comes just days after Pakistan’s prime minister issued a warning about increasing energy load shedding in July due to the nation’s failure to reach a natural gas supply agreement for the month. Shehbaz had stated, “The coalition government is working to make the agreement happen, but Pakistan could not get LNG supply.
The country scrapped the LNG tenders for July due to the high costs, according to the reports. Pakistan has previously been unsuccessful in completing an LNG tender. Additionally, earlier this year, the state-owned Pakistan LNG Ltd cancelled a purchase tender for LNG shipments in July after receiving the most expensive offer ever made to the country.
Steps taken by the Pakistani government to overcome power Crisis:
“Shopping complex and markets to Close be Early and Work Hours for Government Employees’ Will Be Reduced”
The Pakistani government has reduced the working hours for government employees and mandated early closures of factories, shopping complex and retail centers in a number of cities, including Karachi and Islamabad, in an effort to promote energy saving. With Qatar, it already has two long-term supply agreements in place. The first, for five cargoes a month, was inked in 2016; the second, for 2021. The government is in discussions with Qatar over a new five or ten-year LNG supply deal for three monthly cargoes and an additional cargo under an existing deal, according to Pakistan’s Finance Minister Miftah Ismail.
“Cinemas will be allowed to operate until 11:30 PM, and marriage halls and exhibitions may only remain open until 10 PM.”
Irfan Nawaz Memon, the deputy commissioner of Islamabad, posted the notification limiting the hours of commercial activity in the city on Twitter. The new regulation mandates that businesses like stores, markets, wedding venues, nightclubs, cafes, theaters, and public parks will only operate part-time until the wee hours of the morning.
Marriage halls and exhibits may only remain open until 10 PM, despite the fact that businesses are required to close by 9 PM. Only until 11:30 PM will other public recreational facilities like theaters be permitted to operate. The new regulation would not apply to critical services like vegetable markets, milk stores, pharmacies, clinics and hospitals, or repair businesses.
The district magistrate issued the order after realizing that the city’s high temperatures were significantly increasing electricity use. This action will be in effect for the next two months until and unless the power crisis is regulated. The alert stated that “the entire city of Islamabad is experiencing significant power outages due to electrical shortage.”
To overcome Power Crisis, the Punjab government of Pakistan would implement lock-down on Sundays.
In an effort to save energy and cut down on power disruptions, Pakistan’s Punjab province government has decided to impose a complete lock-down on all corporate activity in the provincial capital Lahore.
In an effort to save energy and cut down on power outages, Pakistan’s Punjab province administration has decided to impose a complete lock-down on all business activity on Sundays in the provincial capital Lahore.
A notice from Deputy Commissioner Lahore Omer Sher Chatha stated that “Sunday shall be observed as a closed day for all commercial marketplaces, plazas, shops, including those of wholesale, and retail, shopping malls, bakeries, confectioneries, offices, storage rooms, Godowns, warehouses, etc. in Lahore.”
Pakistan’s Energy Emergency
According to reports, Pakistan’s lack of energy resources and power is the main cause of the country’s power outages. Several states have had 12-hour blackouts as a result of this. According to reports, the issue was exacerbated by July’s double-digit inflation rate, which marked the highest increase in almost six years.
Pakistan has been dealing with an aggravation of its power issue. Additionally, in June, the nation’s monthly imports of fuel oil reached a four-year high. To meet its energy needs, the nation has been alternating over the past two years between importing LNG and oil, depending on their pricing.
