PM says power supply and exports remain stable despite Gulf war disruptions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan had not faced an electricity crisis and its exports had continued without disruption despite oil supply disturbances linked to the Gulf war.

He made the remarks while chairing a meeting on long-term energy planning and export strategy in view of the current international situation. According to the prime minister, ‘Despite disruptions in oil supply caused by regional tensions, no electricity crisis has emerged in the country owing to a significant share of renewable energy in electricity generation.’

During the meeting, the prime minister also instructed the relevant authorities to speed up work on the Battery Energy Storage System project. He said, ‘Solar energy and other renewable energy sources are the future of the power sector,’ and directed that a comprehensive national strategy be prepared to further expand renewable energy sources.

The prime minister said Pakistani exports to Gulf countries were continuing despite recent global tensions and related challenges. He directed the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation to arrange vessels to strengthen exports through sea routes. He said, ‘Despite regional tensions, successful diplomacy has ensured the continued supply of Pakistani exports to Gulf countries.’

Officials briefed the meeting on the long-term electricity generation strategy, export opportunities arising from the current global situation, the challenges involved and the steps being taken to address them.

According to the briefing, 55 per cent of the country’s total electricity generation currently comes from renewable sources, while 45pc is produced from fossil fuels. The briefing added that planning was under way to raise the share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 90pc and bring fossil fuel-based generation down to 10pc over the next 10 years.

The participants were also told that diplomatic engagement with Gulf countries was continuing to support Pakistan’s exports in light of recent regional tensions. It was further noted in the briefing that demand for Pakistani agricultural products in Gulf markets had been increasing steadily.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Jam Kamal Khan, Dr Musadik Malik, Ahad Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Sardar Owais Ahmed Leghari and Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistants Haroon Akhtar and Tariq Bajwa, and State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad.

Meeting with Turkish judicial delegation

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said there was expanding room for cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye in the judicial sector, especially through the use of digital technologies aimed at making the delivery of justice faster and more efficient.

He expressed these views during a meeting with Kadir Ozkaya, president of the Constitutional Court of Turkiye, who called on him along with a high-level delegation, according to a press release.

Referring to the longstanding brotherly relations between the two countries, the prime minister said Pakistan and Turkiye were moving steadily towards a comprehensive economic partnership. He added that both sides could draw on each other’s experience to improve access to justice for their citizens.