Energy-Saving Move Backfires As Pakistan Goes Dark

Vendors warm themselves over a fire at a market in Muzaffarabad during a nationwide power outage on January 23.

Officials say most of Pakistan was struck by a power outage as an energy-saving measure by the government backfired.

Shopkeepers sit at a market in Islamabad during a nationwide power outage. 

Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir said that engineers were working to restore power as he tried to reassure the nation. "As an economic measure, we temporarily shut down our power generation systems," Dastgir said. When engineers tried to turn the systems back on, a fluctuation in voltage was observed, which forced engineers to shut down the power-grid stations one by one.
 

People visit a market in Islamabad where some shopkeepers were using generators for electricity.

The outage was reminiscent of a massive blackout in January 2021, attributed at the time to a technical fault in Pakistan's power-generation and -distribution system.

Many major cities, including the capital, Islamabad, and remote towns and villages were without electricity for more than 12 hours. As the blackout continued into the night on January 23, police were deployed at markets around the country to provide security.

Motorcycles and cars pass a market in Lahore as the blackout continued into the evening.

The electricity breakdown left many in the country of 220 million people without drinking water as pumps powered by electricity failed to work. Schools, hospitals, factories, and shops were without power amid the harsh winter weather.

Shopkeepers in Islamabad wait out the blackout.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered a probe into the outage.

The streets of Islamabad were still busy, as some shops were still open thanks to generators.

Pakistan gets at least 60 percent of its electricity from fossil fuels, while nearly 27 percent is generated by hydropower. The contribution of nuclear and solar power is about 10 percent.

 

People warm themselves next to a fire in Muzaffarabad.

Pakistan is grappling with one of its worst economic crises in recent years amid dwindling foreign-exchange reserves, which has compelled the government to order shopping malls and markets to close by 8:30 p.m. to conserve energy.

People are silhouetted against passing cars in Karachi.

Talks are under way with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to soften some conditions on Pakistan’s $6 billion bailout, which the government thinks will trigger further inflation hikes. The IMF released the last crucial tranche of $1.1 billion to Islamabad in August.

 

A bird's-eye view of Pakistan's financial center in Karachi, known as the "City of Lights," as the country goes dark. 

Officials said late on January 23 that power had been restored in many cities, 15 hours after the outage was reported.