KARACHI: A K-Electric meter reader was critically injured in a targeted firing incident in the Mahmoodabad area of Karachi on Tuesday, ARY News reported.
Unidentified assailants opened fire on the meter reader, who sustained five to six gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile, another meter reader accompanying him managed to escape unharmed by fleeing the scene.
Following the attack, the perpetrators fled the spot on a motorcycle.
The injured employee was rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for emergency treatment.
Meanwhile, police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the incident and initiated an investigation.
Earlier, K-Electric announced the end of temporary load management in Karachi following the restoration of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) supply,
According to K-Electric, power generation from the BQPS-III power plant has stabilised, leading to an improvement in electricity supply and the end of temporary load shedding.
However, scheduled load shedding will continue in areas with high electricity theft and low bill recovery, the power utility said.
K-Electric said its regular load-shedding schedule is available on its official website.
The utility also thanked Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) and the relevant authorities for their cooperation in restoring RLNG supply. It expressed gratitude to consumers for their patience during the period of temporary load management.
Before this, K-Electric had started load shedding in several areas of Karachi that were previously exempted from power cuts, while also increasing the duration of outages in areas already experiencing scheduled load shedding, causing difficulties for residents.The power utility has reportedly begun implementing one-hour load shedding in phases in areas previously exempt from scheduled power cuts. However, electricity supply in several localities has remained suspended for more than two hours.
Areas affected include Saddar, Clifton, Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Korangi, along with Orangi Town, Liaquatabad, North Karachi and North Nazimabad.
Residents of Malir, Landhi, SITE, Baldia, Mauripur, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Hadeed and Scheme 33 had also faced power outages. Severe load shedding had additionally affected the Old City Area and Razzaqabad.K-Electric had attributed the power supply constraints to a shortage of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which has affected electricity generation. The utility has reportedly introduced load management measures in response to the reduced generation capacity.