A number of proposals are being considered by the Nawaz Sharif government in order to deal with energy crisis in the country, including import of electricity from India.
According to details, both long and short term plans are being considered. In the short terms, proposals include hiking budget deficit by a few percentage points diverting additional resources towards energy needs. Alternatively, diverting major resources from the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) to energy crisis.
Sources in the economic ministries confirmed that in the long run, import of electricity from India as well as from Iran and Central Asian Republics (CARs) was feasible. Islamabad-based top official of the World Bank also explained that such a scheme was considered feasible and that 1,000MWs could be imported from India within the next two years.
Additionaly, feasibility studies have confirmed technical and economic viability of exporting summer time electricity surpluses from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan from existing power plants to relieve power shortages in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yet the lack of a regional energy sharing mechanism has created difficulties in exploring these options so far.