ISLAMABAD (Agencies)- The Ministry of Water and Power Monday announced that power was restored across Pakistan including Karachi, Quetta and Lahore, following the countrywide breakdown on Sunday night.

Officials said the power transmission was restored in Sindh and Karachi adding that the power issue in Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) had no link with the national grid.
The Ministry of Water and Power has initiated its own inquiry into the nationwide power breakdown. The breakdown occurred at about 11:45pm on Sunday, cutting off power supply to most of the country, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta and Azad Kashmir.
Power began restoring on Monday morning with electricity supply resuming in some parts of Karachi and Quetta as well as in other areas of the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Secretary Water and Power Rai Sikandar said 5,800MW of electricity had reentered the system, enabling the restoration of electricity supply across Pakistan.
Sikandar apologised to the nation over the massive power breakdown and vowed to investigate the electricity fault.
He said generation of 5‚800 mega watt electricity was restored while work was underway to overcome the remaining shortfall.
The secretary said that the prime minister had taken serious notice of the breakdown and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Secretary Water and Power said that 100 megawatt electricity was supplied to Karachi Electric Supply Company to meet the demand. He further said the breakdown was caused when the Hubco Power Plant in Balochistan, generating 1,200MW electricity, tripped due to a technical failure and other power plants were shut down in order to prevent any damage to their respective systems, thus leaving more than half the country in darkness.
Water and Power Ministry Monday also set up a four-member enquiry committee on the prolonged countrywide power breakdown.
Member Wapda, Qasim Khan, will be heading the committee, while director technical NTDC (power), chief engineer system protection and joint secretary (power) would be the members of the committee, water and power ministry said. The committee will present its enquiry report within seven days, sources said.
Meanwhile, taking immediate notice of the incident, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has ordered an investigation into the matter.
Raja directed the authorities that responsibility be fixed and action be taken against those responsible for the laxity.  Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf presided over a meeting to review the energy situation in the country at the PM’s House on Monday.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Water and Power Ch Ahmad Mukhtar, Minister for Finance Mr Saleem H Mandviwala, Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain and other senior officials of Water and Power Ministry.
The meeting was informed that the electricity break down in the country was due to a technical fault and that electricity had been restored in most parts of the country whereas it would be restored in the rest of the country before the evening.
The prime minister was also informed that as per his direction an inquiry committee had been constituted to ascertain the reasons behind the breakdown and fix responsibility.  The prime minister said that no one would be spared and severe action will be taken against anyone found negligent or in any way found responsible for laxity leading to break down of the electricity in the country. During the meeting the present supply and demand position of the power as well as availability of fuel for thermal power plants and provision of gas was discussed in detail.
The prime minister directed the Ministry of Water and Power that every measure should be taken to ensure that the supply and demand gap is minimised and consumers face the minimum inconvenience.
Meanwhile, the sudden power breakdown across the country perturbed the politicians and people at large as there were wild speculations of all sorts.
Politicians inquired from each other and journalists whether the army had taken over or the United States had launched an attack on the nuclear assets.
The politicians contacted journalists, TV channels and newspapers and friends of the media community to get the information. In view of the political situation in the country, politicians feared of a military take over. Ordinary people used SMS messages to friends to know the facts.