Dawn
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11:16 May 01, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Power Minister Awais Leghari on Friday declared the end of a month-long loadshedding period after a shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrived in Pakistan a day earlier. The power minister made the announcement in a recorded televised message, saying that the recent power outages were caused by a gas shortage linked to the war between the US and Iran, and were not the result of “incompetence or system failure”. He recalled that on “April 13 and 14, consumers faced power outages of up to five hours, while on April 15–16, they lasted around seven hours”. Leghari added that in the following days, outages were “brought down to zero,” and until April 29, the loadshedding duration was reduced to 2–2.5 hours. He also recalled that the ministry held a press conference to clarify the government’s stance on the matter. “Loadshedding had not been experienced for six to seven years, having been eliminated during the tenure of Nawaz Sharif,” he said. “Using diesel or furnace oil would have made electricity...