Load shedding ends as LNG cargo arrives: Leghari

Published 01 May, 2026 05:15pm 2 min read

Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Friday announced the end of load management across the country following the arrival of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo, saying the power system has stabilised.

In a video message, the minister said improved LNG availability has significantly boosted electricity generation, enabling authorities to eliminate load shedding.

He noted that recent outages were driven by fuel constraints rather than any shortfall in generation capacity or system failure.

Leghari recalled that consumers faced up to five hours of load shedding on April 13 and 14 amid gas shortages. The situation improved thereafter, with no load management between April 17 and 19, and reduced outages of two to two-and-a-half hours from April 19 to 29.

He attributed the gas shortage to disruptions in LNG supplies linked to the ongoing US-Iran conflict, adding that while expensive fuels such as diesel and furnace oil could have been used to bridge the gap, doing so would have imposed a heavy financial burden on consumers.

The minister said additional LNG cargoes procured at spot rates have now arrived, while hydropower generation has also increased sharply from around 1,000MW to nearly 6,000MW, further easing pressure on the system.

He put the country’s installed generation capacity at around 32,000MW, cautioning that higher figures circulating publicly are inaccurate as capacity fluctuates seasonally.

While furnace oil-based plants were briefly used to manage the shortfall, he said the government remains committed to minimising reliance on costly generation sources.

Expressing confidence in system stability, Leghari said authorities expect uninterrupted electricity supply going forward, provided transmission lines remain secure from faults.

“With timely measures, we are hopeful that the public will not face load shedding in the coming days,” he added.

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