Cabinet directs for strategy to avert recurrence of power outages; approves nationwide energy conservation drive.

ISLAMABAD -- The Federal Cabinet on Tuesday directed to work out a comprehensive strategy in order to avert prolonged power outages in the future by rectifying the faults in the national grid system.

The cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also approved a nationwide public awareness drive about the conservation of power, water, and gas to sensitise the people to the preservation of natural resources.

It called for the inclusion of the subject of best international practices on energy conservation in the educational curriculum. It was told that energy conservation efforts at the public, private, domestic, and commercial levels would help reduce the import bill of petroleum products, which had increased remarkably during the last seven years.

Besides, the behavioural changes would also save foreign exchange worth billions of dollars and reduce the electricity bills of individuals by 30 to 40 percent.

The prime minister, expressing annoyance over the widespread power breakdown on Monday, said the inconvenience caused to the people was unacceptable and would not tolerate such happenings in the future.

He...