MPs warn against long-term energy contracts

The Express Tribune reported that parliamentarians and energy experts urged the government on Thursday to avoid long-term energy contracts, warning that take-or-pay commitments could leave Pakistan with costly obligations and deepen circular debt. They called instead for a looser, more adaptable stance on LNG and other fuel purchases, because solar is quickly changing the country's energy picture.

Pakistan's solar base is put at 50 GW, and most of it was added quickly without state subsidies. It spans utility plants, net-metered rooftops, farms, off-grid setups and behind-the-meter installations. Speakers said this capacity could generate around 54.75 TWh a year, which in gross energy terms equals close to 1,279 MMCFD of gas-fired output.

The Parliamentary Forum on Energy and Economy hosted the discussion at Serena Hotel in Islamabad, which brought together lawmakers, experts, civil society members and academics. Dr Nafisa Shah, the forum's convener, argued that policy and regulation must reflect the rapid spread of solar and deliver affordable power that consumers have long been denied. Danyal Chaudhry, Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, said the debate should move past treating solar and gas as rival options, looking instead at how the sun, pipeline, grid and new technologies could cooperate. Syed Faizan Shah, an energy expert and adviser to the Power Minister, proposed battery storage and greater efficiency to cut losses and shield consumers from global fuel price swings.