‘Govt initiated several energy projects to end load-shedding’

ISLAMABAD: The government has initiated a number of hydel, solar and thermal power projects to eliminate load-shedding by next year, said Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, federal minister for parliamentary affairs.

After coming into power in 2013, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had vowed to bring Pakistan out of darkness and eliminate load-shedding from the country by all means, he added. The prime minister is the man of commitment and "We should believe in his efforts to overcome energy shortage."

Energy expert Dr Gulfaraz said that the government is mainly focusing on hydel power projects in order to produce cheap electricity. The government should also focus on the construction of new dams to store water for this purpose, he added.

The government has signed agreements with Qatar for the import of LNG that was another source to produce cheap electricity, he said. Three power plants, including Haveli, Bahadur Shah and Bhikki are near completion and these power plants would add around 3,600MW in the national grid, he added.

Economist Dr Abid Qayyum Sulehri said that the incumbent government has initiated a number of development projects related to improvement in infrastructure through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). CPEC is a game changer project that is proving a golden opportunity for the local and foreign investors to invest in development projects in Pakistan, he added.

Environmental changes had badly affected Pakistan and its agriculture sector. But this sector has improved to a great extent due to the efforts of the government, he added.