Speakers at a dialogue here on Thursday stressed the need to exploit non-conventional sources of energy as well as increase in regional connectivity to boost trade and investment in South Asia.
The daylong dialogue on ‘Trans Boundary Cooperation in Energy Sector’ was organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in cooperation with CUTS International and FES, India, at a local hotel in Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Khurram Dastagir Khan, the Federal Minister for Commerce, said that the government has now realized that for trade and investment, the third pillar is connectivity, i.e. banking, infrastructure, cell phone, and energy. Connectivity is paramount in regional integration, as regional cooperation provides opportunities, the minister said. He hoped that the balance between demand and supply of energy would be achieved in 2-3 years. He said a number of energy projects like KASA 1000 are in the pipeline, but these are subject to peace in FATA and Afghanistan.
