M A I N   N E W S

Pakistan wants to purchase 500 MW power from India

New Delhi, June 14
Pakistan has sought 500 MW of electricity from India by laying a transmission line from Punjab into Lahore. New Delhi is willing to help and is exploring the points that can be used to hook up to the grid in Pakistan through a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line, government sources said.

The proposal to buy power was made during a visit by an expert group to Pakistan this week to discuss energy cooperation. Sources said the transmission line might not take very long to set up and power could start flowing in a matter of months.

But details and modalities of the purchase and the techno-commercial as well as sovereign arrangements required are yet to be worked out. The power-starved nation is ready to explore all options for sourcing power from India.

The sources said Pakistan would have to buy power from India, be from any source — either a private or a public sector power generation plant.

Pakistan wants 500 MW power from India but will have to put in place a transmission network that will facilitate transfer of electricity. At the same time India will have to construct a transmission network on its side.

The two nations will have to first develop transmission lines for evacuation of electricity, the sources said. However, they did not specify the timeline for the completion of the transmission network.

The talks between the two nations are still on and they are yet to reach at an agreement.

A Power Ministry delegation led by Joint Secretary Rita Acharya visited Pakistan earlier this week and discussed the broad contours of the proposed arrangement.

Pakistan, which is reeling under electricity stress, plans to import 1,000 MW of power from India alone.

India has installed capacity of over 2,11,000 MW and plans to add another 88,000 MW by March 2017. — PTI

Envoy discusses trade with minister

New Delhi, June 14
Amid firm indications by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of his commitment to strengthen economic links with India, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir met Commerce Minister Anand Sharma here today. The two had a useful exchange of views on a broad range of subjects pertaining to economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

They discussed steps that could be taken by each side to create avenues for promoting trade. They also took note of an Indian delegation’s recent visit to Pakistan to discuss the supply of power and gas by India to Pakistan. Sharma extended an invitation to the Pakistan Commerce Minister to visit India. Bashir also invited him to visit Islamabad. — TNS