Islamabad, June 30 (IANS) Pakistan’s water and power minister will soon visit India to explore potential areas of cooperation between the two countries, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said.
“We are facing acute electricity shortage and any assistance in the power sector will help us in addressing the problem,” the Dawn newspaper quoted Sharif as telling members of the Pak-India Joint Business Council Saturday.
Sharif expressed satisfaction over the visit of Indian businessmen under the auspices of the council.
“It is reassuring that both sides are sitting together and talking to each other,” he said.
The prime minister said it had always been his endeavour to bring the two countries closer to each other so that they could benefit from each other’s experience.
He said his party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz – had followed a policy of friendship and cooperation with India during its previous stints in power and the same policy of amity would be followed this time to promote peace and prosperity in the region.
Indian members of the council told Sharif that New Delhi could be of great help in providing support in medical science, higher education and technical and vocational training.
Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif earlier said that the energy crisis in Pakistan will take at least two years to be resolved.
Asif said that due to shortage of power the country had sustained a huge loss of Rs.1,000 billion in the last five years. Pakistan is currently facing a power deficit of 4,000-5,000 megawatts per day, the News International reported.
