Pakistan telecom operators on Thursday warned that mobile and internet services might be shut down owing to long power outages causing hindrances in their operations.
Taking to Twitter, the National Information Technology Board (NIBT) said, "Telecom operators in Pakistan have warned about shutting down mobile and internet services due to long hours power outages nationwide, as the interruption is causing issues and hindrance in their operations."
Meanwhile, on Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned the country that they might face increased load shedding in the coming month of July, Geo News reported.
Sharif also said that the country could not get the required supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG), but, the government was trying to make the deal possible.
The Pakistan government has cut working hours for public servants and has ordered malls and factories to shut early to conserve power. The country has been facing a power crisis since it failed to agree on a deal to buy national gas supply next month. Refinitiv data has shown the country struggles to buy LNG for power generation amid a heatwave that is driving demand, reported Geo News.
As per the data, Pakistan's monthly fuel imports will hit a four-year high in June. The country has been struggling to buy LNG for power generation as demand spikes due to a heatwave.
Pakistan signed a power supply deal with Qatar first in 2016 for five cargoes a month and one in 2021, under which Pakistan currently gets three monthly shipments. Despite this, the country is currently facing widespread power outages.
"The government is speaking to Qatar about a new five or 10-year LNG supply deal for three monthly cargoes, as well as an additional cargo under an existing deal," Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said.