RAWALPINDI: Frequent electricity outages in many areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have disrupted normal life with residents spending sleepless nights.

Apart from the outages, the residents are facing voltage fluctuations that threaten to damage their electrical appliances.

The prolonged power outages have also put students in a very difficult situation to concentrate on their studies.

Media Town, Police Foundation, Khanna Dak, Khanna East, Madina Town, Qutbal Town, Raja Naseebullah Town, Shakrial East and Chaudhry Farman Ali Avenue Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Khurram Colony, Effendi Colony, Dhoke Kala Khan, Khyaban-i-Sir Syed and other densely populated areas of the inner Rawalpindi city have been hit by unannounced and prolonged power loadshedding.

Due to temporary difference in supply and demand, load management has been started, says Iesco

“Despite getting hefty amounts as electricity bills, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) has failed to provide uninterrupted electricity supply to domestic residents,” said Mohammad Umer, a resident of Media Town.

He said that despite receiving electricity from solar panels installed by residents, Iesco was claiming that there was a gap between demand and supply.

He said there was more than two hours’ loadshedding after midnight forcing people with no option but to spend sleepless night in the sweltering heat.

Imran Ahmed, a resident of Shah Khalid Colony, said the humidity level had increased and it was difficult for people to sleep without electric fans at night.

“Due to loadshedding, water supply system is also affected as Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) claimed many tubewells had developed faults due to frequent power outages,” he said.

Khalid Mehmood, a resident of Sadiqabad, said people in upscale residential areas had installed solar panels and the burden of the increased tariff of electricity was put on the middle class consumers. But despite this, electricity was not provided properly.

“In many areas, transformers have also developed faults and electricity remained suspended for five to six hours,” he added.

Sajid Rizwan, a resident of Arya Mohallah, said that electricity outages created problems for citizens as they had to face water supply shortage, sleepless nights.

Moreover, students failed to pay attention on their studies.

Abdul Rasheed, a resident of Misrial Road, said Rawalpindi Cantonment Board failed to supply water three days a week and said frequent outages had developed faults in the tubewells.

When contacted, Iesco spokesman Raja Asim said that there was a gap between demand and supply from evening to night and load management was conducted on a need basis.

He said Iesco was facing a 500 MW shortage. Due to the temporary difference in supply and demand, load management has been started in the region and it will end as soon as the electricity quota is available as per the demand.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2026