By Uzma Ehtasham
As temperatures climb across Pakistan and cities endure another punishing summer, the country’s fragile electricity system is once again under intense scrutiny. For millions of citizens, the challenge is no longer simply coping with extreme heat. It is coping with extreme heat while enduring prolonged power outages, unreliable electricity supply and repeated failures of essential public services. The gap between official assurances and the daily experiences of ordinary people has rarely appeared wider.
The government had assured the public that there would be no load-shedding during the Eid holidays. Such promises carried particular importance given the combination of soaring temperatures and the significance of the religious festival, when families gather and businesses experience increased activity. Yet for many households, Eid was marked not by uninterrupted celebrations but by repeated power failures, unannounced outages and long hours without electricity. In several parts of the country, residents reported being left without power during the hottest periods of the day, turning homes into unbearable spaces and making even basic daily activities difficult.
The situation has become especially alarming because it coincides with a severe heatwave. Reports of heat-related deaths in different areas have highlighted the potentially deadly consequences of prolonged electricity disruptions. Access to electricity during extreme weather is no longer merely a matter of convenience. It has become a matter of public health and, in some cases, survival. Fans, air conditioners, refrigeration and access to clean drinking water all depend on a functioning power supply. When electricity disappears for extended periods, vulnerable groups including the elderly, children and those with existing health conditions face heightened risks.
What has added to public anger is the apparent contradiction between official claims and reality. Government representatives frequently state that Pakistan currently possesses sufficient electricity generation capacity to meet national demand. If enough power is being produced, many consumers naturally ask why scheduled load-shedding continues at all. The question becomes even more pressing when unannounced outages and sudden system failures are added to the equation. Citizens paying increasingly high electricity bills reasonably expect that electricity, once generated, should reach their homes and workplaces without interruption.
The answer appears to lie in a problem that has troubled Pakistan’s energy sector for decades. Generating electricity and delivering electricity are not the same thing. While investment in generation capacity has expanded considerably over recent years, weaknesses in transmission and distribution infrastructure continue to undermine the reliability of supply. Ageing equipment, overloaded networks, technical faults and inadequate maintenance have repeatedly exposed structural weaknesses that become particularly visible during periods of high demand.
The recurring pattern is now familiar. A minor weather disturbance, a strong wind or moderate rainfall is often enough to trigger widespread outages. Such incidents reveal a network that remains vulnerable to routine challenges. For consumers, explanations about technical faults offer little comfort when temperatures approach dangerous levels and power remains unavailable for hours. The repeated nature of these disruptions has created a perception that authorities are responding to symptoms rather than addressing the underlying causes.
The financial burden on consumers has only intensified public frustration. Pakistani households already face some of the highest electricity costs in the region relative to average incomes. Rising tariffs have been justified as part of broader efforts to stabilise the economy and reform the energy sector. Yet many consumers feel they are being asked to pay more while receiving less. Electricity bills continue to rise, but service reliability remains inconsistent. For families already struggling with inflation and stagnant incomes, the combination of higher costs and deteriorating service has become increasingly difficult to accept.
Businesses face similar challenges. Power disruptions affect productivity, increase operating costs and create uncertainty for investors. Small enterprises are particularly vulnerable because many lack the resources to maintain backup power systems. Shops, restaurants, workshops and other businesses often experience direct financial losses whenever outages occur. At a time when Pakistan is seeking economic recovery and greater investment, persistent weaknesses in essential infrastructure risk undermining broader development goals.
The disruption of gas supplies in many areas has further compounded these difficulties. For households that rely on both electricity and gas for cooking, heating water and other daily needs, the simultaneous failure of multiple utilities creates a sense of constant uncertainty. Basic tasks that should be routine become sources of stress and inconvenience. Over time, these frustrations accumulate and contribute to a wider erosion of public confidence in state institutions.
This loss of confidence carries important political implications. Governments are ultimately judged not only by economic indicators or policy announcements but by their ability to deliver essential services that directly affect citizens’ lives. Reliable electricity is among the most visible and important of those services. When power outages become frequent and prolonged, they shape public perceptions of competence, governance and accountability.
The challenge facing policymakers is therefore larger than an engineering problem. It is a test of governance. Technical solutions undoubtedly exist. Modernising transmission networks, upgrading ageing infrastructure, reducing losses and improving maintenance standards are all achievable objectives. The difficulty lies in translating plans and promises into measurable improvements that citizens can experience in their daily lives.
Pakistan’s energy sector has long been characterised by ambitious announcements and recurring crises. Each summer brings renewed assurances that problems are being addressed, yet each summer also brings fresh complaints from consumers struggling with outages. Breaking this cycle requires sustained commitment rather than temporary interventions designed merely to manage public anger during periods of peak demand.
As temperatures continue to rise, the urgency of reform becomes increasingly clear. Climate change is expected to make heatwaves more frequent and more severe across South Asia. This reality means that the demand for reliable electricity will only increase in the years ahead. A system that struggles under current conditions may face even greater pressures in the future.
For millions of Pakistanis enduring another summer of uncertainty, the central issue is straightforward. They want electricity when they need it, especially when they are paying increasingly high prices for the service. They want assurances to be matched by results. Most importantly, they want confidence that essential public infrastructure can function during periods when it is needed most.
Public frustration is not simply a reaction to temporary inconvenience. It reflects growing concern about whether critical services are keeping pace with the needs of a modern society. The longer these concerns remain unaddressed, the greater the risk that public patience will continue to erode. In the midst of extreme heat, the demand for reliable electricity has become more than a consumer complaint. It has become a measure of the state’s ability to meet one of its most fundamental responsibilities.
(The writer is a public health professional, journalist, and possesses expertise in health communication, having keen interest in national and international affairs, can be reached at uzma@metro-morning.com)
