ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on energy security, stressing that it has become a central pillar of Pakistan’s long-term national planning.
Addressing the meeting, the prime minister said timely measures and energy conservation efforts have helped avert a potential crisis despite evolving regional challenges. He directed authorities to gradually transition the country’s transport system towards environmentally friendly electric vehicles (EVs) to ensure sustainable development.
The premier also instructed officials to accelerate work on establishing strategic reserves of crude oil to meet future energy needs. He announced that government procurement in the future would prioritize electric buses and motorcycles.
Emphasizing infrastructure development, he called for faster installation of EV charging stations across the country. He further directed the formulation of a policy to facilitate battery storage for surplus solar energy and encouraged local manufacturing of high-quality storage batteries.
During the briefing, officials informed the meeting that the National Coordination and Management Council is closely monitoring the situation on a daily basis. Pakistan currently holds adequate petroleum reserves, while food security remains stable.
The meeting was also told that ongoing efforts by oil and gas companies are contributing to increased domestic production. Additionally, two pilot projects for grid-level battery storage are being prepared, while households generating solar power are being encouraged to adopt battery storage systems.
Several federal ministers and senior officials attended the meeting, reviewing progress and outlining steps to strengthen Pakistan’s energy resilience.
