Pakistan: Rawalpindi faces hours of unannounced, frustrating load-shedding

Rawalpindi [Pakistan], October 27 (ANI): Residents of Rawalpindi are facing prolonged electricity outages lasting six to eight hours, with the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) disconnecting power without adequate prior notice, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, despite the arrival of colder weather, load-shedding continues to disrupt daily life. IESCO maintains that it is implementing two hours of daily load management to address the gap between electricity demand and supply. However, residents have complained that repeated maintenance shutdowns and unscheduled outages are worsening their difficulties. Muhammad Awais, a resident of Faisal Colony, said electricity remained unavailable for six hours, from 8 am to 2 pm, on Thursday before another shutdown took place on Monday without advance information. He said students, office workers and women managing household responsibilities were particularly affected, demanding that consumers be notified at least a day before planned outages. 
Muhammad Farhan of Shah Khalid Colony also criticised the prolonged shutdowns, saying residents were informed only after contacting the utility. He stated that monthly electricity bills exceeding Rs10,000 were placing additional pressure on household budgets despite relatively low consumption. Residents of other localities have raised similar concerns. Suhail Raja of Media Town said power cuts frequently occurred in the evenings and late at night. When he contacted IESCO's complaint centre, he was reportedly told that the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) was carrying out the unscheduled outages.
Abdur Rehman, a resident of Dhoke Ratta, criticised the government over the worsening situation, warning that public frustration could have political consequences. Traders have also reported financial losses as businesses struggle to operate without electricity, with shopkeepers forced to use generators to keep their premises illuminated, as highlighted by Dawn.
Responding to the complaints, Iesco spokesperson Raja Asim said annual maintenance work had begun on transformers, feeders, transmission lines and other electrical infrastructure across the region between Attock and Jhelum, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)