Islamabad:
A Delegation from the High Level World Bank led by the Regional Director for Southern Asia Pankaj Gupta held separated meetings with the Federal Minister of Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and minister of the power division Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari.
The two parties discussed strategic associations and technical support to advance in the energy sector in the country.
The meeting focused on accelerating the development of sustainable energy, improving infrastructure and addressing the key challenges in oil and gas sectors.
The oil minister reiterated the government’s commitment to modernize Pakistan’s energy panorama through integrated energy planning, improved efficiency and clean energy initiatives. He emphasized the importance of international collaboration and investment in compliance with the country’s energy and sustainability objectives of the country.
Gupta reaffirmed the continuous support of the World Bank for Pakistan’s energy reforms and expressed optimism about the expansion of cooperation. He acknowledged the progress made by the Government and discussed the possible technical assistance programs to further strengthen institutional capacity and infrastructure.
Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari
The discussion focused on the ongoing reforms in the energy sector of Pakistan, privatization efforts and opportunities for long -term collaboration, a press release issued the energy division issued.
Welcome to the delegation, the Minister of Power said that we are currently in a critical stage in the privatization of distribution companies. “Our goal is to meet the energy needs of future generations in a profitable and sustainable way,” he said.
Gupta emphasized that energy remains one of the main priorities of the World Bank and pointed out Pakistan’s remarkable potential for renewable hydroelectric energy, particularly through the Indo River system.
He added that the World Bank seeks to develop a long -term comprehensive plan with the electrical sector of Pakistan, which allows alignment with the ten -year strategic framework of the Bank for the country.
Gupta emphasized the importance of using models such as the Integrated Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) and Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) to precisely forecast demand and availability of resources.
He said selecting the right projects, locating them properly and maintaining affordability are essential elements. “We support NTDC in the planning process and we believe that the transmission system should remain in the public sector until it is fully prepared for privatization,” he said.
