Islamabad, Feb 1 (IANS) A number of initiatives, including importing electricity from India, will help resolve Pakistan’s energy crisis, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said.
He said the other steps to resolve the crisis include raising the height of of the Mangla dam, the Thar coal project, the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) pipeline and gas imports from Iran, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
The prime minister was responding to queries from callers in a live “Prime Minister Online” television programme.
In November last year, Gilani had said that talks were on to import 500 to 1,000 MW of electricity from India.
Gilani had last August constituted a high-powered committee to resolve the issue of unscheduled power outages in the country.
Pakistan’s power shortfall has reached 5,000 MW. The country generates 13,250 MW against a peak demand of over 18,000 MW.
The country has witnessed widespread protests over the lack of electricity. In July last year, two people were killed and 30 injured in a pitched battle between police and locals who were upset over acute electricity shortage in a town in Punjab province.
