Country paying heavy cost for ignoring World Bank advice on dams

Lahore: The efforts of the government has resulted in dawn of golden era of gas in Pakistan which will reduce the intensity of energy crisis ensuring rapid economic development, a business leader said Monday.

Import of LNG is a revolutionary move while problems in this regard are temporary, said Mian Zahid Hussain, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and Former Minister for Information Technology Sindh.

Talking to the business community, he said that KASA1000 project has seen light of the day after long time which will provide 1000 to 1300 hundred megawatt of electricity to Pakistan that will increase to 2800 hundred MV in few years.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that Pakistan is facing a gap of Rs 10 billion in financing the USD 1.17 billion project therefore friendly countries should come forward to fund the project. He said that Afghanistan would soon become self-sufficient in power generation which will divert 300 MW of additional power to Pakistan originally allocated for Kabul in the agreement. The deal would bring four Islamic countries Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan closer which will also reflect in other spheres, he observed.

The veteran business leader said that national power demand will hit mark of 45000 MW in a decade for which KASA1000, LNG import and energy imports from Iran are good steps but hydel power remains the best and cheapest option. Pakistan was asked by World Bank experts to build a dam matching size of Turbela Dam every 10 years to ensure sustainable growth but the advice was ignored for forty years resulting in severe electricity outages compromising living and economy, he said.