KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor has emphasised that all political parties should agree to a Charter on Energy in the best interest of the nation and the country.
He said that fast-track policies should be formulated and sustainable decisions taken to boost the energy sector and thereby improve the economy for a speedy progress of the country.
Self-sufficiency in the energy sector is a prerequisite for economic survival of the country and in this regard the key area is renewable energy.
In addition to nuclear, thermal and coal-based power plants attention should be paid to the utilisation of sunshine and wind as Pakistan is blessed with both the resources, said Altaf Shakoor.
He was of the view that efforts to explore oil and gas reserves should be accelerated. Thar coal is not being utilised optimally for electricity generation, which hints at flawed priorities of policymakers.
He said that Thar coal may also be used in gasification for generating energy. Pakistan needs more nuclear power plants, especially near industrial hubs like Karachi, to cater to power needs of industry and domestic consumers. Sindh province has a very good wind corridor where dozens of wind energy plants could be established.
The PDP chief said that solar energy can revolutionise the agriculture sector because in off-grid areas tube-wells can be run on solar power. Solar panels could provide cheap energy to millions of households, lowering the national import bill by decreasing oil imports.
He underlined the fact that energy is a strategic sector for Pakistan as both agriculture and industry depend on it.
Both micro and macroeconomic steps need to be taken to turn Pakistan into a country that doesn’t depend too much on imported fossil fuels. But no major political party in Pakistan has a plan in this regard, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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