KARACHI: Widespread gas and electricity outages across the city on Thursday piled miseries on people preparing for Ashura, leaving thousands who wanted to fast struggling to prepare Sehri and Iftar meals.

Although K-Electric claimed to have exempted certain areas from scheduled loadshedding till Muharram 11, people in many areas had to rely on alternative arrangements to ensure electricity during majalis and other religious gatherings.

Large parts of the city, including Saddar, Burns Road, Lyari, Clifton, Defence Housing Authority, Federal B. Area, North Karachi, Liaquatabad, Malir, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Orangi Town, Keamari and Baldia Town faced prolonged power cuts beginning late on Wednesday night.

The power utility, however, claimed that the power supply remained “uninterrupted” as per schedule, though there were localised complaints of disruption in some areas and the supply was restored after fixing the localised faults.

SSGC says increased consumption causes low pressure in some areas; KE blames localised faults for disruption; water shortages compound public miseries

Gas supply, already short in many neighbourhoods, vanished completely in several areas, particularly during the Iftari time, leaving the fasting people on the sacred days of Muharram helpless and distressed.

A large number of people thronged the nearby eateries and snack shops to buy food for Iftar in almost every locality of the city.

“My family could not cook Sehri as there was no gas scheduled to be supplied at that time,” a resident of Gulberg said adding that he had to rush out to bring parathas and tea from a nearby restaurant.

A rickshaw driver in Balida Town said that his family had to break their fast with leftover meal and fruit as there was no gas before and after Iftar. “We work all day in this heat, and now we cannot even prepare a proper meal for Iftar. Is this fair on Ashura?” he lamented.

Fasting people said the timing of the gas and power outages compounded their difficulties in extreme weather.

Many residents also faced water shortage due to absence of electricity which was required for pumping water to their taps.

The absence of gas forced many to turn to expensive alternatives or skip cooking altogether.

Sui Southern Gas Company officials said they had not announced any special load management plan for Ashura.

They said that increased consumption on Ashura and rampant use of gas suction pumps might have caused low pressure in some localities.

Social media was also flooded with complaints of gas and power outages across the city throughout the day.

Zafar Hasan, a resident of Malir City, asked why utility services failed on a day when religious observances increase household demand. “Don’t they realise that people should be provided uninterrupted gas and electricity particularly during the observance of religious days when it is needed most?” he snapped.

Another disgruntled resident criticised the provincial government for failing to coordinate with utility providers ahead of Muharram to ensure uninterrupted supply. “Every year we see the same negligence during the observance of religious days when it is needed most?” he snapped.

Another disgruntled resident criticised the provincial government for failing to coordinate with utility providers ahead of Muharram to ensure uninterrupted supply.

“Every year we see the same negligence,” he said adding that promises were made but people suffered.

Meanwhile, water shortages continued to persist in several parts of the city with people condemning the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation for not ensuring water supply during the observance of religious days.

The water utility, however, said that the routine supply of water continued as per schedules in the city.

Published in Dawn, June 26 , 2026