By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a set of new electricity projects for Gwadar and Gilgit-Baltistan, signaling a renewed push to ease chronic power shortages and accelerate development in the two underserved regions.
Chairing a review meeting on reforms in the power sector, Sharif authorized the immediate rollout of a comprehensive plan to stabilize electricity supply in Gwadar, the strategically important port city at the heart of Pakistan’s trade ambitions. He directed all relevant agencies to work in lockstep to deliver “uninterrupted, affordable and reliable power” for residents and businesses in the area, warning that delays would only deepen long-standing frustrations.
For Gilgit-Baltistan, the Prime Minister endorsed a 100-megawatt solar power project, describing it as a necessary step towards providing clean, dependable energy in a region heavily reliant on fragile hydropower. Work on the project would begin without delay, he said, adding that the welfare and economic uplift of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan remained a “top priority” for the federal government.
Sharif praised the recommendations put forward by the committee led by Ahsan Iqbal and the Ministry of Energy, urging ministries and departments to move quickly on both short-term fixes and long-term structural changes laid out in the new strategy.
Uninterrupted electricity in Gwadar, he stressed, is essential not only for the daily lives of its residents but for Pakistan’s wider economic ambitions. A stable supply of power, he said, would help attract investment, boost industrial growth, and bring local infrastructure closer to regional and international standards. With the right facilities in place, Sharif insisted, Gwadar could emerge as one of the world’s leading ports and a future hub of South Asian economic activity.
