ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has reiterated the commitment that measures for eliminating load-shedding are on track and our focus is ensuring a bright future for Pakistan.
While Chairing a meeting on energy sector in Islamabad in which he was briefed on energy sector projects and load management plan by the Secretary Power Division and Secretary Petroleum Division, the prime minister elaborated the rationale of distribution of work among ministries, and said that water security is an important concern for the government and people of Pakistan.
The prime minister said that a dedicated ministry for water resources was required to handle these issues and to cater for improved management of water resources, a separate ministry was essential.
With regards to the creation of new Ministry of Energy, the prime minister said that it was necessary to remove firewalls between the Petroleum and Power Sectors which are otherwise linked for a common objective of energy security in Pakistan.
The prime minister directed Power Division and Petroleum Division to formulate roadmap to reduce usage of thermal power sources and instead focus on natural gas and domestic coal for energy production.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that our government is striving to achieve a balanced mix for the country’s energy requirements. He directed that maximum utilization of Thar coal reserves should be ensured to provide affordable energy for consumers.
The prime minister also directed the Water Resource Division to work on planning for water storage projects on fast track.
“There is no room for non-optimal solution in our energy framework”, he emphasized.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali, Minister of State for Petroleum Jam Kamal Khan and senior officials.
