RAWALPINDI: After periods of rain and strong winds, many areas of Rawalpindi experienced excessive power outages overnight between Thursday and Friday, with supply being restored in several locations after eight hours.

Electricity was suspended in various parts of the garrison city, including Faisal Colony, Shah Khalid Colony, Gulzar-i-Quaid, Rewat, Sadiqabad, Chaklala Scheme-III, Adiala Road, and nearby areas, with restoration occurring in the early hours of Saturday.

The power suspension in numerous areas began after 7:30pm on Thursday and was restored around 3am on Friday. The residents attempting to lodge complaints using the numbers provided on their electricity bills found no one attending calls.

The residents have expressed concerns about the government’s capability, noting that its deficiencies were highlighted during the rain and gusty winds.

Iesco spokesman says warnings issued to number of SDOs over delay in power restoration

“Soon after the rain, the electricity was suspended in the area, and there was no one to register a complaint. We are paying our bills regularly, but there is no relief for the people,” said Muhammad Anwar, a resident of Shah Khalid Colony.

He reported that while the markets were closed, it provided an opportunity for thieves to take advantage of the blackout.

“There was no electricity in the area for more than eight hours and there was no one to respond to our complaints, “ stated Muhammad Akhter, a resident of Faisal Colony.

Another Faisal Colony resident Abdullah Siddiqui said that Iesco had made it a routine to suspend power supply even during light rains. Narrating the last night ordeal he and his family faced hardships due to the prolonged power outage, Mr Siddiqui said that he kept on calling various numbers, including the 24-hour helpline, for more than two hours to know about the time of the restoration of power, but surprisingly no one responded.

He suggested that Iesco should devise a mechanism or develop a system to inform the consumers about the nature of the fault and the expected time of its rectification, which would at least minimise some of their sufferings.

He was of the view that the uncertainty about the restoration of the power supply always added to their misery.

“We installed an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) device, but it ran out of battery after two to three hours, forcing us to light the home with candles,” said Muhammad Zafar, a resident of Chaklala Scheme-III.

He added that in some areas, low voltage damaged electrical appliances like refrigerators.

Although many people have installed solar panels, most houses are without them and rely solely on electricity from Iesco.

Iesco spokesman Raja Asim, when contacted, asserted that the chief executive officer of Iesco had taken serious notice of the delayed restoration of electricity in many areas of the city and issued warnings to SDOs and complaint officials who failed to pick up the calls of the people from affected areas.

He said the warning was issued to heads of the areas where electricity supply was frequently disrupted. He also stated that Iesco aimed to provide maximum relief to the public and did not wish to cause trouble for consumers.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025