Energy Minister Awais Ahmad Leghari has dismissed former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail’s recent comments on energy policies such as “misleading and baseless” that accuse him of presenting wrong statistics of misleading the public.
In response to Ismail’s criticism, Leghari emphasized that the government remains obliged to promote renewable energy as a key priority.
“The government has called on the public to adopt solar energy. After changes to net measurements, solar energy costs have decreased. As a result, over 4,000 megawatt sun -generated electricity is already integrated into the national network,” he said.
Looking ahead, the minister expected that within the next eight years, the capacity for solar measurement would exceed 12,000 megawatts. “Future solar measuring consumers will recover their investment within three to four years, making it a very profitable venture,” he added.
LEGHARI clarified that existing net measurement contracts would remain intact at their original rates. He also pointed out that more countries around the world are adjusting net measurement prices to prevent unnecessary strain on national grids and economies.
He approached electricity sector agreements and emphasized that the government has successfully renegotiated Independent Power Producer (IPP) contracts through mutual consensus.
“These revisions have provided financial benefits exceeding RS1,500 billion, which will soon be transferred to the public through reduced electricity parlors,” he said.
He emphasized Pakistan’s progress in renewable energy and noted that over 55% of National Grid’s power supply last year came from pure sources, including hydropower, sun, wind and nuclear energy.
“In the coming years, the proportion of pure and green energy will rise to 85%, which is a milestone we should be proud of,” he noted.
Leghari also criticized Ismail’s statements about sugar exports and deficiencies and claimed that the government had taken timely measures to stabilize the supply of sugar and wheat.
“It is unfortunate that a former Finance Minister is politicizing financial challenges instead of recognizing the steps taken to ensure market stability,” he said.
He also noted that significant reforms have been introduced across energy, agriculture and economic sectors. “In particular, the electricity sector has undergone the most reforms. To not acknowledge these results is very regrettable,” he added.
Leghari condemned Ismail’s remarks as “irresponsible” who urged him to refrain from making claims without supporting data.
“Basic statements without factual support reflect poorly on someone who once had an important financial position. Instead of criticism for the sake of criticism, we welcome constructive proposals that could contribute to the country’s progress,” he concluded.
