- September 17, 2026
- Posted by: Tresmark
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Pakistan plans to invest around Rs200 billion to upgrade its electricity distribution network and reduce the impact of load-shedding, Federal Minister for Power Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said.
The proposed system, expected to be introduced within a year, will cover around 190,000 transformers and shift load-shedding from entire feeders to individual transformers. This would allow outages to be limited to areas linked to faulty or overloaded transformers.
Around 3,500 of Pakistan’s 14,000 feeders are currently affected by outages linked to electricity theft and line losses.
Leghari said each feeder could require Rs600 million to Rs1 billion in infrastructure upgrades, with the overall investment expected to be recovered from consumers over 25 years.
The government is also working on regulations for battery storage and virtual power grids, with the framework expected to be finalised by April-May. Distribution companies have additionally been directed to install batteries at grid stations.
Leghari attributed persistent power outages to electricity theft, high line losses, overloaded infrastructure and years of insufficient investment by distribution companies.
He also said disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz were affecting LNG cargo availability, prompting the government to use domestic gas cautiously and avoid expensive gas-fired generation during peak hours.
