The Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) will switch off electricity in parts of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal on Saturday, 7 November, leaving some neighbourhoods without power for up to eight hours. The shutdown is part of the company’s scheduled maintenance work, and the list of affected feeders runs into the hundreds across the five districts.
For most of the feeders named in the schedule, the power will stay off from 9:00am to 2:00pm while crews carry out the annual maintenance of 11kV feeders, construction and development work, and upkeep of transformers at grid stations. A handful of feeders follow different hours, and the longest break is in Rawalpindi Cantt, where the New GHQ feeder will remain off from 9:00am to 5:00pm. IESCO has apologised for the trouble and asked consumers to bear with it, and the same programme cut power across the region on 4 November and on 3 November.
Islamabad operation circle
In Islamabad, the outages reach Nilore, Tarlai, Bara Kahu, Murree, Jhika Gali and Patriata, along with sectors D-12, F-6, F-8, G-6, G-7, G-9, G-10, G-11, G-13, H-9, H-11, I-9, I-10 and I-11. Most feeders follow the usual 9:00am to 2:00pm window, among them Athal, Shakarparian, Pak China Center, CDA Flat and PHA Flat. A second group starts earlier, at 8:00am, for construction work: the two Islamabad Club feeders covering Bani Gala and the Orchard Scheme, Mehfooz Shaheed, Shahzad Town and Service Road East covering parts of Ghauri Town.
Islamabad 132kV F-6 grid station
A separate, shorter shutdown is planned at the 132kV F-6 grid station, where feeders will be off for power transformer maintenance from 11:00am to 1:00pm. The list covers Jinnah Avenue in Blue Area, PHA, F-7/2, Saudi Tower, F-6 Blue Area, Shaheed Millat and FPSC.
Rawalpindi city operation circle
In Rawalpindi City, feeders in the Satellite Town, City and Westridge divisions will be shut down, again mostly from 9:00am to 2:00pm. The schedule names Raja Sultan and National Market around Saidpur Road and Asghar Mall, Kurri Road, AFOHS, Al-Noor Colony, Qadeer Road, Farooq-e-Azam, Tariq Shaheed, B.B.H., Fawara Chowk and Sarafa Bazar. The KRL Complex feeder starts earliest in the city, at 7:00am, and stays off until 2:00pm.
Rawalpindi Cantt operation circle
In Rawalpindi Cantt, the outages cover the Cantt, Chaklala, Mandra, Rawat, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan and Tariqabad areas. The New GHQ feeder, serving Tariqabad, will be off for eight hours, from 9:00am to 5:00pm, the longest single outage in the schedule. Most other feeders follow the standard 9:00am to 2:00pm window, including Bank Road, Dhoke Farman Ali, Mecca Chowk, Multi Story Flats, Morgah, Askari-7, D.H.A. Homes, Mandra, Fauji Foundation Hospital, RIC Hospital, Gracy Line and Takbeer-1. Around the hospitals the window is shorter: Hospital Road, Canning Road, Haider Road and the three M.H. feeders serving MH Hospital will be off from 9:00am to 12:00 noon.
Attock operation circle
In Attock, feeders in the Taxila, Wah Cantt, Hassan Abdal, Attock, Hazro, Pindi Gheb and Fateh Jang divisions will be affected. Most follow the usual 9:00am to 2:00pm window, including Sher Shah Soori, HMC Road, Taxila, Wahdat Colony, Islampura, Shadi Khan, Nartopa, Attock Cantt, Katchery, Fateh Jang, Jand and Chabb. The construction feeders from Sangjani through Wah and Taxila start at 7:00am, among them Cabinet Division, Khanabad, Col. Sher Khan and Ahmed Nagar, while a second group in Attock Cantt, including Darul Islam, Bolian Wal, Cap Ishtiaq Ahmed and Air University Kamra, will be off from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.
Attock 132kV Sanjwal grid station
At the 132kV Sanjwal grid station, feeders will be off for power transformer maintenance from 9:00am to 2:00pm, covering POF-1, POF-2, Solar-1, Solar-2, Akhori, the Artillery Centre, PM Colony and Katchery. The Sanjwal to Attock 132kV transmission circuit is also listed from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Jhelum operation circle
In Jhelum, outages are scheduled in the Jhelum-I, Jhelum-II and Gujar Khan divisions, including Sarai Alamgir, Dina, Sohawa and Bewal, and every feeder listed runs from 9:00am to 2:00pm. The names include Bilal Town, Langer Pur, Bolani, Puran, Khohar, Mohalla Shaheedian, Akram Shaheed, F-8 Civil Line, Jakkar, the Dina feeders covering Rohtas, Bakrala and the city, Karyala and Gujar Khan City.
Chakwal operation circle
In Chakwal, feeders in the Chakwal, Dhudial, Pind Dadan Khan and Talagang divisions will be affected, all on the standard 9:00am to 2:00pm timetable. The list names Azhar Shaheed, Kot Chaudhrian, Line Park, Mengan, Munara, Main Bazar, Dhudial City, Latifal, Jand Khanzada, Chakral, Basharat, Rawal, Katas, Ahmed Abad, P.D. Khan, Abdullahpur, Bilalabad, Talagang City, Kot Sarang and Mureed, along with the independent feeders for Al-Qaim Textile Mills and Kohi Noor Spinning Mills Unit-3.
For households and businesses in the affected areas, the practical step is simple: charge phones and other essential devices before the power goes off and keep the outage window in mind when planning Saturday. IESCO says the work is routine annual maintenance to keep feeders and transformers in working order. Anyone unsure whether their street or feeder is included should check the full schedule shared by IESCO.
