Islamabad, Jul 31 (IANS): High winds and a cyclone are to blame for the current electricity crisis in Pakistan, said a minister.

Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, minister for water and power, said that a total of 18 pylons of high voltage power supply lines were damaged as a result of high wind and cyclone in Muzzafargarh last week that caused a loss of 1,800 MW in the national grid.

He said that 11 pylons have been re-erected restoring 1,100 MW of power supply while the remaining 700 MW of power will be restored in a day, reported Associated Press of Pakistan.

The minister was speaking at a high level meeting in which President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf were present. It was held Monday night to review the current energy situation in the country and explore ways and means to address the power issues.

The president's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the meeting was in continuation of series of earlier meetings to tackle on war footing the power shortage and energy issues in the country.

Zardari, while expressing concern over the consistent power shortage and power outage in the country in the holy month of Ramadan, directed the authorities concerned to make coordinated and concerted efforts to bring an end to the unscheduled electricity and gas outages in various parts of the country.