Power breakdown: Khurram Dastagir assures of complete restoration by tonight

• Committee formed to probe "accidental fault".
• Inquiry team to submit report within five days.
• Says tripping that triggered breakdown started from Karachi.

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/QUETTA/LAHORE: Following a major breakdown that affected large parts of the country Thursday, Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan assured the nation that the electricity transmission system will be “completely restored” between Maghrib and Isha.

“We will restore the system between Maghrib and Isha,” said the minister in a press conference. He added that an inquiry team has been formed headed by GM Technical NTDC to investigate the matter which will submit its report within five days.

The minister told reporters that due to the breakdown a shortfall of 8,000 megwatts emerged, adding that at least 4,700 megawatts have been restored.

“Faisalabad and Multan regions have been restored completely,” he said, adding that Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO) has been partially restored.

Khan said that it will take a few hours to restore the plants that have tripped and was hopeful that plants providing electricity to Karachi will also be restored.

“Electricity needs to be restored in Quetta and Karachi,” said Khan, adding that the tripping that triggered the breakdown started from the port city and spread to the other parts of the country. 

Earlier today, the Energy Ministry had said that southern parts of the country, mainly Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, were left without power after a fault was detected in the national grid’s southern transmission system.

“Due to an accidental fault in the country’s southern transmission system, multiple southern power plants are tripping which is affecting the transmission of electricity in the southern part of the country,” tweeted the ministry.

The ministry shared that it was working to detect the fault and restore electricity in the southern part country at the earliest.

SHC issues KE CEO's arrest warrants

Meanwhile, the officials of K-Electric appeared before the Sindh High Court (SHC) after a bench issued arrest warrants for the power utility's chief executive officer (CEO).

They informed the court that the KE wasn't responsible for the power outage. "The entire country's power system is down," they said.

Earlier, SHC Justice Salahuddin Panhwar issued the arrest warrants for the KE CEO, directing the officials to implement the arrest orders within an hour. 

He expressed annoyance over the suspension of the power supply since 9:30am, as city courts and the accountability courts within Karachi were also left without power following the breakdown.

He asked how the court could hold proceedings with no electricity.

Areas without electricity

In a statement, Karachi-Electric said that restoration efforts were underway across the metropolis and the power utility's teams were actively monitoring and addressing the situation. 

"Strategic installations including the airport and hospitals have been energised," the sole electricity provider of the city said.

Restoration of residential areas is progressing gradually, it said, adding that parts of North Nazimabad, Buffer Zone, Baloch Colony, Nursery, KDA Scheme 1, parts of DHA, and other areas have been energised. 

"KE's network is safe and fully operational enabling quick restoration. KE actively remains in touch with all relevant stakeholders on the matter," the utility said. 

Other districts of Sindh that were without power were Hyderabad, Thatta, Jamshoro, Sujawal, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar; Mirpurkhas, Umarkot, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Matiari, Tharparkar, Larkana.