Sindh education offices hit by 3-week power outage, K-Electric unresponsive
Synopsis
Sindh's education directorates have been without reliable power for nearly three weeks, freezing school registrations, certifications, and college admissions processing — even as officials say bills are paid and K-Electric remains unresponsive. The crisis is a microcosm of Pakistan's widening electricity governance failure, now hitting institutional public services directly.
Key Takeaways
Education offices in Sindh province have faced power outages for nearly three weeks as of 17 July .
Affected directorates include Directorate General Colleges Sindh , Regional Directorate Private Schools Karachi , and others.
Services disrupted include online school registration, computerised certifications, and college admissions processing.
The Directorate on Burns Road receives electricity only from 11 am to 2 pm daily, with another shutdown after 4 pm .
Officials confirm all electricity dues are cleared and complaints filed with K-Electric , yet no effective action has been taken.
A parallel power crisis in Punjab has damaged household appliances; LESCO denies any load-shedding.
Education offices across Pakistan's Sindh province have been grappling with severe disruptions to official work, online systems, and public services due to prolonged power outages lasting nearly three weeks, according to reports from The Express Tribune. Despite officials confirming that all electricity dues have been cleared and repeated complaints lodged with K-Electric, no effective relief has been provided as of 17 July.
Offices Affected
The power crisis has struck multiple key education directorates, including the Directorate General Colleges Sindh, the Regional Directorate Government Colleges Sindh, the Directorate General Private Institutions Sindh, and the Regional Directorate Private Schools Karachi. Hours-long load-shedding during office hours has brought routine administrative work to a near-standstill.
The worst-hit facility is the Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions on Burns Road, where employees reportedly have access to electricity only between 11 am and 2 pm each day, with another shutdown occurring after 4 pm.
Impact on Public Services
The outages have crippled computer-dependent operations, internet connectivity, and printing facilities. Services directly affected include online registration of private schools, issuance of computerised certifications, complaint handling, and processing of admissions for government colleges.
The Deputy Director of Inspections confirmed that modern online office systems are rendered non-functional during power cuts, preventing staff from carrying out daily government work. He noted that all electricity bills have been paid and complaints raised with K-Electric, yet no effective action has followed.
Officials Demand Immediate Action
Education department officials have called for uninterrupted power supply during office hours and swift resolution of the underlying technical issues. The repeated failure of K-Electric to respond has drawn sharp criticism from within the government itself — an unusual public rebuke of the utility by its own institutional customers.
Wider Power Crisis Across Pakistan
The Sindh situation is not isolated. Earlier this month, residents in Punjab province reported severe hardships from unannounced power outages amid a scorching heatwave. Localities including Gulberg, Green Town, Johar Town, Baghbanpura, Township, Garden Town, China Scheme, and Anarkali in Lahore reported persistent interruptions, unstable voltage, and prolonged restoration times.
Residents also reported damage to electronic appliances — including air conditioners, refrigerators, televisions, and water motors — due to repeated outages, low voltage, and power fluctuations. The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) denied any declared or undeclared load-shedding, attributing cuts solely to scheduled maintenance and high-loss feeders. Residents and business owners have disputed that claim.
With Pakistan's electricity infrastructure under mounting pressure across multiple provinces, the Sindh education crisis underscores a broader governance failure — one that is now directly obstructing the delivery of public services.
Point of View
The utility's claims of adequate supply become untenable. K-Electric's silence in the face of official complaints is not a service failure; it is a governance failure. What makes this particularly damaging is the downstream effect: private school registrations frozen, certifications unissued, admissions stalled. These are not abstract bureaucratic delays — they affect students and families. Pakistan's power crisis has long been framed as a revenue or capacity problem; this episode suggests the dysfunction now runs deep enough to corrode basic state functioning.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Sindh education offices facing power outages?
Sindh education offices have been experiencing prolonged load-shedding for nearly three weeks, disrupting official work and public services. Officials say all electricity bills have been paid and complaints raised with K-Electric, but no effective action has been taken.
Which education offices in Sindh are affected?
The affected offices include the Directorate General Colleges Sindh, Regional Directorate Government Colleges Sindh, Directorate General Private Institutions Sindh, and Regional Directorate Private Schools Karachi. The worst-hit is the Directorate of Inspection and Registration of Private Institutions on Burns Road.
What services have been disrupted by the power outages?
The outages have disrupted online registration of private schools, issuance of computerised certifications, complaint handling, and processing of admissions to government colleges. Computer systems, internet connectivity, and printing facilities are all non-functional during power cuts.
Is the power crisis limited to Sindh?
No. Punjab province has also been hit by unannounced power outages amid a heatwave, with residents in Lahore localities reporting persistent interruptions, voltage instability, and appliance damage. LESCO has denied load-shedding, a claim residents dispute.
What have officials demanded in response?
Education department officials have called for uninterrupted power supply during office hours and immediate resolution of technical issues. The Deputy Director of Inspections confirmed all dues are cleared, making K-Electric's inaction difficult to justify on billing grounds.
