Pakistani officials are blaming the breakdown of a major power plant for causing a nationwide blackout late Sunday.
Authorities with the country's Water and Power Ministry say the power outages affecting Pakistan's major cities - including Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi - began when a power plant generating 1,200 megawatts a day of electricity developed a technical fault.
While nationwide outages like Sunday's are not common, frequent power cuts lasting for hours at a time have hit homes throughout the country for years. The outages have fueled public outrage, crippled industry and triggered violent protests.
Analysts blame the electricity shortages on chronic under-investment in infrastructure, while Pakistani leaders partially blame electric companies' lack of funds.