Highlights Govt imposes restrictions on power, energy consumption Hydroelectric shortages, record temperatures exacerbate crisis Gas-based power utilities cut operations on fuel shortage The Pakistan government is pushing to curb electricity demand by limiting operating hours of large commercial establishments and imposing a five-day work week, to cope with widening shortages of generating fuels and petroleum products along with soaring energy costs. energy crisis, which is in line with similar shortages being faced across the South Asian subcontinent, has put regional governments on the backfoot, forced large-scale switching to highly polluting fuels like fuel oil and coal, and plunged countries like Sri Lanka into socio-economic turmoil. This has been compounded by a scorching summer heat wave, with some provinces registering temperatures in excess of 45 degrees Celsius even before peak summer arrived. Consequently, Pakistan’s hydroelectric […]