Karachi is facing long hours of power outages in the middle of an intense heatwave, leaving residents frustrated and angry. Despite promises from K-Electric to reduce load-shedding, many areas are experiencing up to 16 hours of electricity cuts daily, with several residents calling the utility’s claims “false and misleading.”
K-Electric recently claimed to have ended load-shedding in many areas and reduced the duration in others to under four hours. However, residents in Korangi, Malir, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Liaquatabad, and Surjani Town report that power outages have increased significantly, even in areas that were previously load-shedding-free. Many say blackouts now last between 10 and 16 hours a day.
Locals from Korangi’s 35-C area told Dawn Digital that they had not faced load-shedding for the past five years, but in the last week alone, power has been cut for up to 16 hours daily. In nearby Korangi 48-B, residents report frequent shutdowns under the excuse of “maintenance,” lasting 10–12 hours at a time—on top of scheduled load-shedding.
Residents of Malir Shadman and Jamshed Road described the outages as “unpredictable and unbearable.” They said the electricity vanishes at night without warning, and when they call the K-Electric helpline, they only hear an automated message with no option to report their problem. People also complained that recent changes to the helpline system make it harder to register complaints.
Although K-Electric claims that over 70% of Karachi is now load-shedding-free, residents in many of the “cleared” areas reject this, saying there is no visible improvement. They accused the company of hiding the real situation, especially as power cuts continue under the guise of repairs. They also criticized the lack of direct human support when contacting customer service.
In response, a K-Electric spokesperson maintained that the utility reviews its network performance every quarter and works with community leaders to reduce electricity theft and losses. Still, residents say those efforts mean little when basic power supply remains so unreliable, especially during peak summer heat.