Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif says the government is committed to overcome the energy crisis in the country. PHOTO: FILE
Speaking to a delegation of Indian energy sector experts in Lahore on Wednesday, Shahbaz said the government is committed to overcome the energy crisis and it will get assistance from every available quarter for the purpose.
The head of the Indian delegation‚ Perveet Baadal expressed his readiness to cooperate with the Punjab Government for installing power plants based on alternate resources.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Pakistan is set to sign an initial deal for import of electricity from Delhi.
“The two sides are likely to ink an MoU for electricity trade,” a source said, pointing out that this was going to happen despite the fact that Delhi had succeeded in getting a decision in its favour from the International Court of Arbitration.
India has offered to supply about 500MW of electricity in the beginning and this plan could be implemented within a year by laying a transmission line.
A senior government official said Pakistan felt that it could import 2,000-2,500MW of power from India to tackle the acute shortage which had hit its economic growth bringing it down to 3% a year.
India has also expressed interest in exporting oil, but since Pakistani refineries produce low-quality oil whereas India produces oil of Euro 2, 3 and 4 standards, they cannot press ahead with the plan.
COMMENTS (47)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1713904359-0/burn-(1)1713904359-0-270x192.webp)
1713853507-0/MalalaHilary-(2)1713853507-0-270x192.webp)
Dipak@Jahangir: All dams being built by India are totally 100% legal according tp 1960 IVWT signed by Ayub Khan and Nehru. Unfortunately, most of you guys are brainwashed by your religion twisting mullah and the Millitary. It seems Shariff brothers have now realized the facts, therefore, they are asking for India's help. Pakistan is throwing away good river water in the sea due to lack of harvesting good waters. I personally believe, if you do not want to buy power from India, you can build another 45,000 MW of hydroelectric plants and 20,000 MW of wind and solar plants. And if you do, you can sell excess electricity back to India. Keep politics of Mullahs and Millitary out and prosperity will be established in Pakistan forever. Good luck.
I wonder if Pakistan has any money to buy/import/set up any power plants. I mean India would not want to end up like Iran which is being requested by Pakistan to built the pipeline even in Pakistan. India does not have oil to provide free lunch to Pakistan.
India should not do anything for free. Cash upfront, then only cooperation.
Whether Pakistan buys electricty from India or Not its a Big Victory for Pakistan ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ cause it demonstrates Pakistans right to exercise its option on Indian electricty which is generated from water belonging to Pakistan. ( or some such warped logic)
Cooperation? It's not a commercial deal? You mean it's free? Watch out, after East Bengal India now has its eye on West Punjab!
@polpot:
"so the smart thing is to import electricty manufacture goods and export. It makes excellent economic sense."
Thanks, but no thanks. We don't want this Indian opium. Why don't you use this electricity to serve your own deficient areas.
@Lala Gee:
"@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks: Pakistan must import electricity from China"
This comment was not posted by me. Perhaps some Indian fan of mine has done this one more time.
@optimist:
"We grew from mere $62 billion to $235 Billion but did not add a single unit in our electricity. "
Just do a calculation. How can GDP grow from $62B to $235B in thirteen years? It means an annual growth rate of over 10% each an every year for 13 years!! Right there it tells you that Pakistan's GDP numbers are bogus.
@optimist: One needs to be pragmatic to solve the problem rather than get stuck in the past. I wonder if it is because of Musharraf that Pakistan is facing power shortage. GDP growth rate was he highest in his time. Please introspect honestly to get to the root of the problem.
@Jahangir: import from Tajikistan (through Afghanistan)??? Import from Iran like the oil pipeline??
@ Sidharta Shastri Pakistan's GDP was $62 Billion dollars in 1999 and we had 1500 megawat extra electricity. . Pakistani economy grew massively till 2007 and was in recession in 2008. It got back on its feet and by 2013, we have GDP of nearly $235 Billion dollars (and a lot more consumption). . We grew from mere $62 billion to $235 Billion but did not add a single unit in our electricity.
@Lala Gee:We commenting here please do some research. Electricity generated in Indian Punjab is from Satluj river and from thermal plants. Don't show you ignorance here.
Dear ET I want to use your good offices for complimenting Shahbaz Sharif for his decison to buy electricty from India +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ He is demonstrating excellent business sense with diplomacy. PMLn's future depends on combating energy shortage on a war footing and He is acting on that realisation. Truly Prime Minister material......PML N's reply to IK.
@water bottle: "It’s better to take help from India in building infrastructure to produce your own electricity, instead of buying it from India." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Logic for purchasing electricty is as follows: 1. Time Frame: A hyro power generation plant takes about 5- 10 years to realise. Pakistan has already several hydro projects like Bhasha on the drawing board that will produce large amounts of electricty in the future. The logic of purchasing electricty is to meet more immediate needs. 2. Economics: India is selling electricty to Bangladesh at about InRs 5 ( = 8.5 Pak Rs) a Unit .....less than half of the cost of power generated in Pakistan by its oil based power plants.
Pakistan has GSP + status for next 3 years for duty free exports to EU....so the smart thing is to import electricty manufacture goods and export. It makes excellent economic sense.\
Hope that convinces all the Pakistanis as well.
This nation can eat grass but we wont compromise on nuclear bomb
When it came to eating grass, 8 million went out of pak. for better opportunities. Rest lived in depression and anxiety.
Now, This nation can live without electricity next summers, but wont allow Electricity import from India.
Emotionalism, #BigMouth@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks: "Proud nations never forget the history..." That does not mean they should get stuck with it; they should learn from it. India has not forgotten its history of slavery to barbarism but it has learnt from it - never to be weak or complacent again!
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks:
Pakistan must import electricity from China, ask China to setup nuclear reactors in GB and AK ...those can remain under China control and provide electricity for both China and Pakistan. Until Pakistan wins a war against India to avenge 71 ... Pakistan must sacrifice and do what it takes.
@Abid Good sentiment. I wish for peace between India and Pakistan and a co-operative relationship. You don't get diminished in any way by working with India. You Will get stronger and more stable.
@naeem khan You are so predictable, spewing venom all the time. Sitting outside Pakistan and goading Pakistan into hostility and confrontation all the time.
So many feet and only one mouth.....difficult to juggle!
@polpot: "You cannot eat your cake and have it too."
Yes you can, just wait 24 hours!
@Lala Gee: Yeah, and Zia had done wonders for Pakistan and it's nation. He has done more damage to this country Pakistan than any one even the permanent enemies of Pakistan could not do and it was all done in cahoots with other Punjabis specially the Army. Bear the fruit of his rule and by the way his children are millionaires today and one of them is living in Pakistan and no one is asking him where did he get all this loot. Although others were in the fore front but the Punjabi elite were the ones controlling everything from behind the scenes so don't tell me that Punjabis has not created any problems for Pakistan. May be the Sharif brothers are from Kashmir but they always speak Punjabi, never heard them speaking Kashmiri.
@Jahangir: -- "When they are making dams on our waters it’s like legalizing India illegal dam making and power generating over our rivers." What you have been taught is being reflected in your statement. The water source of the rivers are from the land in India. rivers do flow in Pakistan too hence internationally the people living in area of lower riparian of the river too has right on the water of the river and Pakistan in the instant cases too has right on the five. rivers along with India. Pakistan is lucky tht India did made Indus river water agreement and it clearly defines which country has how much right on the rivers. Accordingly India built small dams on these rivers like the one built by Pakistan too. There is provision of international Arbitration too . Based on the Indus water Treaty India is making dams for irrigation as well as energy production.In Pakistan you have been fed that India is stealing Pakistan's water without any explanation. International Arbitrator decided in favor of India but now the propaganda is that India managed to get it in its favor. Do you mean to say that India is so powerful that it can influence the international decisions. Grey matter of the brain should be used.
Sad news, only CM Punjab could stoop to such low levels.
@Siddhartha Shastri:
"Would appreciate any factual inputs."
India has added to generation capacity, while we have only added to consumption.
India stated to work on the diversion and dam on the western rivers from 1995,but no govt took notice till 2010...and one man known as double Shah represented Pakistan and did plead the case properly most probably bribed..and we lost the case..afterwards Pakistan filed review the case,and one again no proper paper work done....but our minister calling it victory
Well, we must help our neighbour who needs electricity urgently to move forward even though it is of a meagre quantity which can be increased later especially from the Indian Punjab. However, it is more important that Pakistan is seeking cooperation in un-conventional means to generate electricity which would really help them in the long run as it is essential to become self sufficient.
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks:
"Pathetic just plain pathetic people of Punjab."
Sharif brothers are Kashmiri, not Punjabi. The fact is, Zia was the only Punjabi in the top position, and rest of of the time non-Punjabis remained in the top commanding positions.
Maybe we can invite them to take over governing the country as well? India and the IMF together can take over the reins.
This is more about Indian Punjab exporting electricity to Pakistani Punjab, than about a deal between India and Pakistan. The connotations here are quite different.
Mian sb. should first seek India's cooperation to stop terrorism in Pakistan. I am sure India can be handful with this regards....
Indfia should offer most attractive terms to Pakistan for Electricity ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ There will be huge collateral benefits to India in terms of peace . ( India is already selling electricty to Bangladesh : Read http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/india-steps-up-power-supply-to-bangladesh/article5444681.ece )
Very bad decision a throat cut decision like enemy! we can not do business with our enemies just over night this will be the dangerous point to start over throw this govt!
I'm just curious as to where is Nawaz Sharif. Why has he delegated all responsibilities to others? The other day someone was saying that he's suffering from dementia. Is that true?
@Abid: Wise comment...
I recall that some ten years ago, the possibility of India importing electricity from Pakistan was being discussed. I am not sure what has changed in such a short time that now India is in a position to provide some electricity to Pakistan. Has the demand in Pakistan shot up or has India added to its power generation capability? As far as I know, Indian power generation capacity is still considered to be woefully inadequate. Would appreciate any factual inputs. Thanks.
The mismanagement , corruption, incompetency for the last 50 years of Pakistan's leadership is about to bear fruit. What a pathetic people and their leadership. I have seen some of you singing the praises of General Musharraf recently and that man could not see beyond his nose. Today this country is begging a country for power supply which has dismembered it in half in 1971 by force and humiliated her across the globe. Proud nations never forget the history and I wonder who will get to transfer millions to Swiss Banks for this God forsaken project. Pathetic just plain pathetic people of Punjab.
Indian Punjab now have surplus power and it also produced cheapest electricity in India mainly from thermal power plant, biomass plant, solar plant and also from coal based plant. Punjab is selling electricity to other states especially during winters like Himachal Predesh; it can also export power to Pakistan Punjab also.
Its Pakistan's choice whether to buy electricty from india or not +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ However to those Pakistanis who lose their nights sleep about India stealing electricty from Pakistan's waters let me remind that India paid 62060000 Pound Sterling to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty and gained the legal rights to generate unlimited electricty from the rivers allotted to Pakistan. You cannot eat your cake and have it too.
India should sell its electricity to its own people (another crisis now in Tamil Nadu). . India has been asking Pakistan to sell its spare electricity in past. If we had agreed to sell those extra 1500 megawats that we were producing till year 2001, we could have stayed on track. . Thanks to Musharraf that we started going into minus from that time.
We will do whatever it takes, money, help, technology.Just dont come back or cross the border.Respect the fences and we can co-operate.If you really need to make war for Saudi Arabia, go fight Iran, because right now thats the only option.There could be another option, just digest existential realities and then exist, uplift the region by tagging along with India.There are noo equals here, because thats a 'reality'.Its not arrogance, its the truth.
@Lala Gee
Sir, you shouldn't give into the propaganda of the people like Zaid hamid and others.
India has not used any water allocated to Pakistan. India has always adhered to Indus water treaty.
However, I would have agreed with you if you had questioned the economics of this arrangement.
It's better to take help from India in building infrastructure to produce your own electricity, instead of buying it from India.
Healthy sign toward peace and friendship. Go ahead Mr. CM.Nobody will oppose you.
Govt commitment looks quite serious in tackling energy crisis. CM is playing leading role.
"A senior government official said Pakistan felt that it could import 2,000-2,500MW of power from India to tackle the acute shortage which had hit its economic growth bringing it down to 3% a year."
The energy produced by using water of the rivers allocated to Pakistan under Indus Basin Water Treaty? What an achievement of our government.
not a good choice. When they are making dams on our waters it's like legalizing India illegal dam making and power generating over our rivers.They can take electricity from Tajkistan or Iran if they are so much in problem with this issue.
Wow, how the ta led have turned. We can't fix our internal issues to the extent that we now need 'cooperation' from India to fix them
Go ahead Mian saab, haters will hate as usual and going to bring Pak-India conflict and dignity. Whereas in the modern world, you compete with countries on the basis of economy, trade and business not with emotional statements.
More projects we gonna start with India, better engagement and relations will be the result.