In India last week, surprise grid failures plunged more than half the country into darkness. But power outages in neighboring Pakistan have been intentional — the result of summertime energy rationing.
Despite billions of dollars in U.S. aid, Pakistan has been unable to keep the lights on. Now the situation is getting worse, with riots erupting over factories forced offline.
Only the mosque and a handful of shops in this commercial district in Rawalpindi, a large, bustling city alongside the capital, Islamabad, have power. Generators rumble outside the few businesses that can afford them.
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