ISLAMABAD: Power supply to areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Monday remained suspended due to tripping at 500 KV grid station in Rawat. The abrupt suspension also caused tripping to new Ghakkar 500 KV grid station, the spokesman of the Power Division said. However, he said the system sustained the tripping and was safe and running. “The systems are operational otherwise, the power supply has been suspended for the twin cities only.” The power supply was restored to the twin cities later. The power breakdown comes a week after large swathes of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were deprived of electricity for almost 10 hours. A technical fault in one of the three major dams or the 500 KV transmission lines triggered a domino effect and took down the ageing national grid, suspending work at factories and businesses in the industrial heartland and highlighting the challenges successive governments have faced in getting to grips with chronic power shortages. Earlier on May 1, the power system had faced a breakdown following testing of the LNG-based power plants in Punjab, causing blackouts in some parts of the country. Published in Daily Times, May 22nd2018.