Islamabad: Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari has informed the National Assembly that Pakistan is projected to become ninety percent reliant on clean energy for power generation by 2034. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice raised by Sharmila Faruqui, he highlighted that fifty-five percent of the country's electricity in the 2024-25 period will come from clean energy sources. He mentioned that under international commitments, the country must elevate its clean energy share to sixty percent by 2030, and expressed confidence in achieving this target this year.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Minister for Power addressed concerns over Prosumer Regulations, which sought to replace net metering with net billing. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has halted its implementation following feedback from various sectors. A review petition will be submitted to the regulator as directed by the Prime Minister. The minister dispelled fears that these regulations would burden the common people, noting that only a small fraction of the solar energy capacity is tied to net metering. He clarified that reducing the profit margin from fifty to thirty-seven percent is not an anti-consumer measure.
The Minister for Power also detailed efforts to enhance the power sector, stating that circular debt has decreased by seven hundred eighty billion rupees. He shared that power pilferage losses have been reduced by one hundred ninety billion rupees. The National Assembly was also briefed on the nationwide installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters, expected to be completed by year-end. Parliamentary Secretary for the Power Division Aamir Talal Khan mentioned during Question Hour that load-shedding occurs on feeders with high losses, and the implementation of Aerial Bundled Cables (ABC) and AMI meters will mitigate these losses.
The parliamentary secretary further discussed an ongoing campaign against power theft. In response to another Calling Attention Notice, Minister of State for National Health Services Mukhtar Ahmad Malik reiterated Pakistan's dedication to eradicating the polio virus with public support. He clarified that eradication involves not just reducing cases to zero, but ensuring all environmental sewage samples test negative. Recent reports from Punjab, Peshawar, and Hazara have shown negative environmental samples. He affirmed that vaccine efficacy and cold chain systems have been independently validated, and polio workers are trained to maintain vaccine quality.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, responding to a Point of Order, affirmed Pakistan's steadfast commitment to the Palestinian cause, emphasizing continued diplomatic efforts in support of Palestine. Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Gul Asghar informed the National Assembly of the substantial budget allocation for road infrastructure development in Balochistan. The House session has now been prorogued.