Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that besides promoting the traditional methods of power generation, work was also being carried out expeditiously on projects of energy production from alternative resources and that the roadmap for this purpose would yield far-reaching results.
He said that Chinese, Turkish and other foreign companies expressed keen interest in coal and solar powered electricity generation projects. He welcomed the offer of the Turkish group of companies to shift streetlights to solar energy and expressed his hope that an agreement would soon be signed in this regard after which the streetlights of Punjab’s big cities including Lahore would be switched to solar power. This, he added, would result in the conservation of electricity and additionally, that streetlights would continue to operate during load-shedding hours.
He was talking to a delegation of the Turkish Group of Companies EAE (associated with the energy sector) led by its Chairman Samil Perk which also included its energy secretary, technical director, consultant and other officials.
Provincial Energy Minister Sher Ali Khan was also present at the meeting.
Shahbaz said that the government had adopted a solid strategy since the last two months for controlling the energy crisis due to which load-shedding had decreased. However, he added that there was a need to work on this front with commitment and dedication. He said that revolutionary reforms in the power sector were being introduced.
He said that the circular debt of Rs 480 billion had been repaid in 50 days, adding that Chinese, Turkish and other countries expressed their interest in cooperation in several projects based on hydel, coal and solar power.
He said that work on the Nandipur power project was being resumed for which Chinese engineers were coming to Pakistan. Furthermore, he said that the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park was being set up in Cholistan.
Welcoming the delegation, the CM said that Pakistan and Turkey were bound together by strong ties of friendship and that several Turkish companies had already invested in Punjab. He said that the glorious metro bus project was a splendid example Pak-Turk friendship, adding that the Punjab government was taking solid measures for developing the solar power sector such as the compulsory installation of solar lights in new commercial plazas.
Perk expressed his desire for an agreement in regard to the installation of solar lamps in the big cities of Punjab. Appreciating the leadership qualities of Shahbaz, he said that the latter had surprised the whole world by executing metro bus project in just 11 months. Perk said that his company had come to Pakistan not only to promote its financial interests but to also strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries. He added that the fraternal Pak-Turk ties had strengthened during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government.
Potential energy projects strengthening Pak-Turk friendship
