The Punjab Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution expressing concern over prolonged electricity load shedding across the province as the national power shortfall reportedly crossed 4,000 megawatts.
The resolution, moved by government lawmaker Ahsan Raza, called attention to continuing electricity disruptions and noted that relief in power bills was being extended to one category of consumers.
The proceedings were briefly interrupted when opposition member Rashid Tufail pointed out a lack of quorum, prompting the chair to order that bells be rung for five minutes.
The resolution comes as electricity shortages have intensified across Punjab, including Lahore. Residents in parts of the provincial capital reported outages lasting one hour after every hour of electricity supply.
Sources said the shortfall within the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) system had exceeded 1,200MW, while the nationwide electricity deficit had risen beyond 4,000MW.
The shortage is reportedly less severe during daylight hours because of increased solar generation, which sources estimated was contributing around 7,000MW daily to the electricity supply.
Meanwhile, sources within the National Transmission and Despatch Company said generation from several power plants had declined, adding to pressure on the system.
A delay in the arrival of an RLNG shipment at the port could further affect gas availability and potentially place additional pressure on electricity generation, according to the sources.