Pakistan Power-Cut Riots Spread As Politician's House Stormed

"You see thousands of people using the dirty water of the canal because there is no other option," he said.

"We have never experienced this sort of massive load shedding before in Pakistan. It's unprecedented."

In April, a 19-year-old woman fell into a coma in a Lahore hospital because a power cut during an operation to remove her appendix shut off her oxygen supply.

Other problems include the spoiling of frozen food and the crippling of industrial production, including in Pakistan's vital textile sector.

The government has sought to give the impression that it has the situation under control. On Tuesday prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, speaking before the supreme court disqualified him from office, announced a high-powered "energy conference" of top officials. It would have been the eighth such event in 14 months, but critics say they lead to no substantial changes.

Economists say there is very little the government can do, given the country's dire fiscal position.

Years of not paying electricity providers has created huge debt piles, which grow constantly as a result of interest charges and continued spending on electricity.

In March, the country's natural resources minister told parliament that the so-called "circular debt" stood at 2.7 billion.

The state coffers are in no position to help as public funds have been consumed by the country's huge defense budget and interest payments on existing debt. Those two items alone make up about 65% of state spending.

Last month, Gilani suggested the power problem could be solved by simply printing more banknotes, despite already soaring inflation.

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Pakistan Power-Cut Riots Spread As Politician's House Stormed