ISLAMABAD: The government has rushed emergency measures to ease Pakistan’s deepening electricity crisis by diverting gas supplies from the CNG sector to power plants, a move aimed at reducing outages as demand pressure intensifies across the country.

Officials said gas allocation to the power sector has been raised from 108 million cubic feet per day to 150 million cubic feet after suspending supplies previously dedicated to CNG operations. The shift is being seen as an urgent intervention to support struggling gas fired plants and prevent further strain on the national grid.

Despite the increase, the power sector continues to face a severe fuel gap, with demand estimated at 450 million cubic feet per day against only 150 million currently available. The shortfall has kept major generation capacity idle, limiting the ability of thermal plants to operate at levels needed to bridge the electricity deficit.

Authorities said domestic consumers remain a priority during peak cooking hours, while export industries and key fertilizer production have also been protected to avoid wider economic disruption. Officials expect some relief with the arrival of a fresh LNG cargo, which could reduce fuel shortages and help restore generation in coming days.

Meanwhile hydropower has emerged as a critical buffer in the crisis response. Increased water releases from Tarbela have pushed generation to nearly 6000 megawatts during peak demand, helping stabilize the system. Additional electricity transfers from southern regions and improved output from gas based plants have further strengthened the grid.

The coordinated fuel and power management strategy reflects the scale of pressure facing the energy sector as authorities race to contain shortages before summer demand surges further. Officials say the latest measures are part of a broader emergency response to prevent deeper disruptions and restore confidence in the national power system.