Pakistan on way to ‘Stone Age’, to cut power for two hours everyday to manage bills

When the conflict in the Middle East was at its peak, US President Donald Trump had threatened to send Iran back to the ‘stone age’ – a warning that now appears to have deflected to Tehran’s south-east neighbour, Pakistan, where rising energy costs have rendered people without electricity.

In an effort to manage the rising cost of power, the Pakistani government has announced scheduled power cuts of two hours during peak evening hours across the country.

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According to the government, the move would help in keeping the electricity prices for households in check. Power distribution companies have been directed to notify consumers in advance of any scheduled power cuts.

These two hours are in addition to the unannounced power cuts already being reported in urban and rural areas.

According to Pakistani media reports, some rural areas under Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) have been facing frequent power cuts ranging from an hour to as much as 16 hours a day.

Pakistan’s Petroleum Division officials cited a sharp drop in gas supply to power plants behind the country’s power crisis.

After the US and Israel’s war against Iran. Tehran blocked the energy supply through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that roughly handles around 20 per cent of the global energy flow.

The disruption in supply through the Hormuz route and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on energy sites in American alliance partners in the Gulf triggered an unprecedented global energy crisis.

The LNG supply from Qatar has been suspended until May 9, leaving the gas-fired power plants in Pakistan with limited fuel for generation.