Power cuts test Pakistani patience in election year

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – The last thing any government wants is hot, angry voters, but that is Pakistan’s fate with elections just months away.

Near record summer temperatures can be blamed on global warming, but power outages aren’t acts of God.


Blackouts happen every summer throughout Pakistan due to a poor electrical system, but this year they have been more frequent and lasted longer.

“We start our day in darkness and end it in darkness. There is no electricity for seven to eight hours daily,” said student Mohammad Sarfraz in Multan, a city sweltering in 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) heat on the plains of central Punjab province.

Reuters