Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir has said the electricity has completely been restored after yesterday's breakdown.   Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, he said the country's 1112 grid stations stand restored and there is none which is not energized. The Minister for Energy commended the efforts undertook by the National Transmission and Dispatch Company, Power Division and WAPDA for restoring the power supply. Federal Minister also suspected a foreign hand in the massive country-wide power breakdown.

Khurram Dastgir said despite the extensive breakdown, there were some areas in the federal capital and Peshawar where the electricity remained available all the time. Similarly, there was no disruption in power in the flood hit areas of Sindh and Balochistan. The Minister for Energy said the exact reason of the technical challenge that was experienced in the North and South transmission line at 7.30 am yesterday has yet not been determined. Khurram Dastgir said that the nuclear power plants in Karachi and Chashma would require forty eight to seventy two hours to come to the system and that process has been started.

He said the coal power plants are also required forty eight hours. Sahiwal and Engro Thar coal units have been synchronized and soon they will start producing electricity.  He said there will some shortage of electricity in the next forty eight hours. Therefore, there will be a limited load shedding but the industrial sector will be exempted from it.  The Minister for Energy said that the transmission system remained safe from this disturbance in system. He also emphatically stated there is no shortage of fuel and it is available in sufficient quantity to produce electricity.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP