ISLAMABAD, May 28 (UPI) -- Pakistan's electricity crisis continues to worsen, with blackouts reported nationwide.
Pakistan Electric Power Company sources told a private TV channel on condition of anonymity that the national electricity power shortfall Saturday was 7,000 megawatts, as the national electrical infrastructure generated 9,200 megawatts.
The persistent generation shortages have led to blackouts and brownouts across Pakistan, spurring social unrest as more than 18 hours of blackouts are being enforced some urban areas and more than 20 hours in the nation's rural regions.
Over the past several years electricity generation in Pakistan has shrunk up to 50 percent due to an over-reliance on fossil fuels.
Exasperated consumers vented their frustration in different cities and towns against the unavailability of electricity Saturday, blocking the Grand Trunk Road and city roads in Okara, Gujranwala, Sukkur, Chakwal and other municipalities, The Daily Times reported.
Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, alarmed by the nation's worst power outage and consequent social unrest, has directed Mussadiq Malik, the caretaker Minister for Water and Power, to take immediate measures to resolve the situation.
