The Tribune
It may promote the cause of peace too
India’s readiness to supply 500 MW of power to tide over the acute energy crisis in Pakistan can prove to be a major confidence-building measure. It may lead to a noticeable change in the mindset of the people on both sides of the political divide. A proposal to import power from India was made by Pakistan during the recent visit of an Indian expert group to Islamabad. As part of a move to promote cooperation between the two countries in the area of energy, India may provide another 500 MW of power to Pakistan at a later stage. But this will be possible only when both sides are ready with a transmission network till the international border.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won the just concluded elections there with the promise, among other things, to effectively handle the crippling power shortage in that country. That he was sending out signals for promoting the cause of peace between India and Pakistan shows that he had already made up his mind to go in for energy import from this country after forming his government. This pragmatic approach has provided India an excellent opportunity to come to the aid of its neighbour, which has been experiencing power cuts lasting 12 hours or more at many places.
The crippling power crisis in Pakistan is the result of a combination of factors: policy mistakes continuing for decades, inefficient power plants and crumbling transmission lines. It is having a cascading effect on Pakistan’s economy. Very few new industrial units are being set up, leading to the army of the unemployed growing fast. Widespread joblessness created a condition in which extremists had a fertile breeding ground. And when the influence of such elements grows, there can be no peace in the country. Peace is one of the basic requirements for industrial advancement. If the new government in Pakistan succeeds in ending the power crisis with India’s help, it is bound to affect the thinking of the people in the entire region.
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Pak for Indian power
