Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired the 7th meeting of the cabinet committee on energy at the PM’s house on Friday which reviewed progress on the implementation of decisions taken in previous six meetings.
The prime minister said the government was making all out efforts to ensure that load shedding was finished during its tenure in office and the said priority was to increase generation in the short-term to add additional electricity to the national grid by the summer of this year.
He directed that efficient projects should be undertaken so that provision of electricity to the people at affordable rates could be ensured. Alternate sources of energy including solar and wind power must also be tapped to reduce dependence on any one source, and all impediments in the way of speedy generation of electricity be removed, he said.
The prime minister was informed that expressions of interest had been invited for the construction of 1100-km South-North gas pipeline to be completed in two phases which would reduce cost of transmission of gas leading to decreased cost of production for electricity.
He directed that time lines should be set for the project to achieve the objectives within a specified time frame. The meeting decided that in order to meet severe energy crisis LNG fuelled power plants would be installed. The Prime Minister emphasized that electricity transmission system should be improved to reduce line losses.
Ministers for Finance Ishaq Dar, Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique; Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Minister of State for Petroleum Jam Kamal, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, Advisor to PM on National Security Sartaj Aziz and SAPM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi attended the meeting along with senior government officials.
