Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs high-level meeting on solarisation to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in remote areas

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review ongoing reforms in the power sector, with a focus on ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to remote and far-flung areas through solarisation.
The Prime Minister directed that high-loss electricity feeders be shifted to solar energy with the cooperation of local communities and provincial governments. He said the initiative would help reduce losses on loss-making feeders while ensuring continuous power supply to these areas.
He further instructed that pilot projects be launched immediately on high-loss feeders of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) and the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO). Emphasising community ownership, the Prime Minister directed that consultations with elected representatives and active participation of local communities be ensured to make the pilot projects successful.
During the meeting, a detailed briefing was given on plans to convert loss-making feeders of PESCO and QESCO to solar power. It was highlighted that the transition would lead to the establishment of environmentally friendly, low-cost and sustainable microgrids for local populations, with local communities, provincial governments and the federal government acting as partners in the initiative.
The meeting was informed that the project would not only enable low-cost electricity generation but would also significantly reduce future losses of power distribution companies. Granting in-principle approval to the plan, the Prime Minister directed that work on pilot projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan commence immediately.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Chief Secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and senior government officials.