President Zardari directs Sindh CM to expand solar panel program

ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister (CM) Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah called on President Asif Ali Zardari, at Aiwan-e-Sadr and discussed matters relating to mutual concerns, ARY News reported.

Chairman Pakistan People’s Party and MNA, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and provincial Minister Sindh Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Khan Maher were also present during the meeting.

During the meeting, the overall situation and ongoing development projects in Sindh came under discussion.

The president directed to expedite the work on the development projects in the province and expand the solar panel program .

Additionally, the security situation and law and order in Sindh were also reviewed during the meeting.

It is worth mentioning here that Karachi’s main power utility K-Electric Ltd. plans to nearly double Pakistan’s solar capacity by adding 640 megawatts of clean energy to its portfolio in the next two years, according to a company executive.

The bidding process for the first few projects opens on Aug. 19 and will close next month, Chief Strategy Officer Shahab Qader Khan said in an interview. Developers will compete for multiple solar projects that will sell electricity to K-Electric, he said, adding that the portfolio will include 200 megawatts of hybrid solar-wind generation.

Pakistan is historically plagued by high power prices, largely due to the country’s reliance on costly fossil fuel imports. After a 155% increase since 2021, monthly bills costing up to $700 outweigh rent expenses for many families. Doubling the share of solar energy in the mix, currently sitting at just 1% with a total capacity of 630 megawatts, may help lower the nation’s overall import bill.