Residents of Pakistan were left in the dark as the country experienced its second major power grid breakdown in the past few months. According to Al Jazeera English, the nationwide power outage left nearly 220 million people without electricity. Major cities such as Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad were among those affected.

In response to the blackout, the Pakistani government has begun restoring power to the affected areas. The process is expected to take several days.

In the midst of the power outage, actor Ali Zafar jibed his country’s debt, saying on Twitter: “IMF instalment not paid.” The tweet has since gone viral, sparking criticism from some who believe it was inappropriate to make light of the situation.

The cause of the power outage is still under investigation. In the meantime, the Pakistani government is urging citizens to remain patient while they work to restore power.

This story was covered by Reuters, Al Jazeera English, CNN, Hindustan Times and BBC.

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