The country has been facing severe shortage of electricity for a long time and the media is ripe with news reports that the present government is taking urgent steps to build hydel and solar projects to improve the energy situation. People are becoming used to the government claims that the electricity shortage will end within specific time, but the deadlines given by the ministers over and over again have so far passed unnoticed without bringing any noticeable change in the lives of the people. Now Pakistan has signed an agreement with Tajikistan to import an additional 1,000 megawatts electricity. The import of this volume of electricity will be outside of the Casa-1000 project, which is a transmission and trade project between Central Asian and South Asian countries. The officials from Pakistan and Tajikistan have expressed their satisfaction on the pace of progress on the agreement and decided to start the construction work to complete the project as early as possible.
The problem is that all the transmissions lines will pass through the unstable region of Afghanistan. Internal conflicts, insane policies by the Afghan leadership and a permanent anti-Pakistan stance has made the situation worse in that country. Afghanistan needs Pakistan not only for peace and security within its boundaries but also for business, trade and economy. Afghanistan lives on the good gesture of Pakistan which has always helped the people of that country by giving them refuge and security, but the Afghan leadership has always stabbed in the back of Pakistan on the behest of India. Now Pakistan and Tajikistan have decided to develop a roadmap for the construction of the transmission lines and other related projects. The question is what the deadline to complete the project is as enough time has already been wasted away. Uncertainty will continue to cast shadow on the project as long as there is political uncertainty in Afghanistan.
Pakistan desperately needs electricity for its growing industry, but no serious effort is being made by the government. Electricity shortage cannot be fulfilled by promises as it needs practical work to enhance its generation in the country. The Nandipur power project is still inoperative, Kalabagh dam has been sent into oblivion and work on Basha Dam could not start for one reason or the other. The government will have to act as the economy is growing and the nation cannot afford to live in darkness. The government must encourage local and foreign investors to set up factories to manufacture voltaic cells and promote solar energy in the country. Solar energy is the only shortcut to resolve the issue.
