Pakistan’s government has introduced a controlled power management plan that will suspend electricity supply for more than two hours daily during evening peak demand hours in an effort to prevent a sharp increase in electricity tariffs.

Under the newly announced Peak Relief Strategy, electricity supply will be reduced between 5:00 pm and 1:00 am, the period when national demand rises significantly and reliance on expensive fuel-based generation increases.

Energy authorities said the measure is aimed at limiting the use of costly imported fuels, which could otherwise trigger a substantial rise in consumer electricity bills. Officials estimate that without intervention, tariffs could have increased by up to Rs. 5–6 per unit. The current plan is expected to restrict the possible increase to roughly Rs. 1.5 per unit while avoiding an additional hike of nearly Rs. 3 per unit.

The government maintains that the move is not traditional loadshedding but a targeted demand-management strategy designed to stabilize electricity prices during periods of high consumption.

Officials also highlighted that electricity consumers received cumulative relief worth Rs. 46 billion between July and February, with the average per-unit electricity price declining by 71 paisa despite rising global fuel costs. Authorities attributed the relief to system reforms, stricter operational controls, improved planning, and increased reliance on lower-cost energy sources.

To further reduce price pressure, local gas supplies have been directed toward power plants to replace more expensive fuel options. Distribution companies have been instructed to publicly share feeder-wise outage schedules so consumers can plan around the shutdown periods.

The government says the objective is to maintain supply stability while protecting households from the financial impact of global energy market volatility.