Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan has said that the real cause of power breakdown, that plunged parts of country into darkness last night, has not been identified yet.

While addressing a presser alongside Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub said that teams working on restoration process are facing difficulties due to foggy conditions. “The exact reason behind the technical fault will be ascertained once the fog settles down.

بجلی کی تازہ صورتحال : شام تک پورے ملک کی بجلی بحال ہو جائے گی ، کوئلے اور نیوکلیر پلانٹس واپس آنے میں وقت لیتے ہیں ، پن بجلی اور گیس کے پلانٹس چل رہے ہی pic.twitter.com/u1hvpbdkpI

— Omar Ayub Khan (@OmarAyubKhan) January 10, 2021

For now the technical fault remains unknown,” he said assuring that electricity will be restored across the country in next few hours. he further said that a technical fault was reported at the Gaddu power late at night following which the frequency fell from 50 to zero in a matter of few seconds. “We initiated the restoration work process after energizing the Tarbela power plant twice. So far, power has been restored in Faisalabad, Jhang, Multan and Islamabad,” he added.

Criticizing past governments for ignoring transmission system, the energy minister said that Pakistan witnessed eight major power breakdowns under the tenure of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. “When we took charge, there was barely any work been done on transmission. We paid special attention to the power sector. A $6 billion transmission line has been laid in Matiari. We are upgrading both transmission and distribution system,” he said.

Speaking on occasion, Shibli Faraz said that there was no up-gradation of transmission systems in past. “The previous governments focused on power generation but did not upgrade transmission system. We are focusing on both transmission and distribution of power,” he added.