Senator Sherry Rehman, speaking as Chief Guest at the Parliamentary Forum on Energy and Economy “Implications of IGCEP 2025, politics of energy generation in Pakistan” on Thursday, commended the conveners of the forum for addressing issues of great national importance and fostering dialogue that involves matters central to Pakistan’s energy and economic future.
Senator Rehman underscored that “energy represents wealth for a country — it is the foundation of energy democracy, security, and sovereignty.” She emphasized that “every industry, every household, every school, and every farm depends on low cost, sustainable, durable and affordable energy to power growth and human development. Electricity is not a privilege — it is a human right.”
Referring to global energy trends, Senator Rehman noted that renewable energy has overtaken coal as the world’s leading source of electricity in the first half of 2025. Growth in solar and wind energy, she said, met 100% of the rise in global electricity demand, driving down reliance on coal and gas.
She underscored that in 2024, 47% of Pakistan’s electricity came from low-carbon sources (Ember 2025), while according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy, the figure was even higher at 55% — both well above the global average of 41%. Pakistan ranked as the 26th largest country in the world by electricity demand, a clear sign of its growing energy footprint.
Senator Rehman reaffirmed Pakistan’s climate commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — to achieve 60% of power generation from renewable sources by 2030, net-zero emissions by 2050, a 30% transition to electric vehicles by 2030, and a complete ban on imported coal. “Renewables are the path to energy sovereignty and energy democracy.”
Citing Pakistan’s remarkable rise in the global solar landscape, Senator Rehman stated that Pakistan is now the 6th largest solar market in the world (World Economic Forum, 2025).
She lauded the Sindh Government’s pioneering role in renewable energy, recalling how it launched solar initiatives as early as 2013 — solarizing 600 schools in Nagarparkar and electrifying border villages in Sanghar despite federal restrictions at the time.
Shedding light on the Sindh Solar Energy Project (SSEP) led by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and supported by the World Bank, she said the initiative aims to provide affordable solar systems to 500,000 low-consumption households, with priority given to beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
Senator Rehman cautioned that Pakistan’s current energy planning remains “rooted in a 20th-century grid system — archaic, aging, and unoptimized.” She called for a “low-cost, best-cost” energy system that is inclusive, efficient, and sustainable.
“The biggest flaw in the IGCEP 2025 plan is that it did not include adequate consultation at the right level,” she noted. “In the absence of provincial involvement, several provincial governments have raised concerns over the exclusion of their power projects from the IGCEP. Similarly, there is a notable lack of inclusion of significant variable renewable energy projects (solar and wind) for Sindh and Balochistan, despite their vast natural potential in these resources.”
“This intervention requires parliamentary consensus and provincial consultation — not just box-ticking exercises. Real consultation must be institutionalized through the Council of Common Interests (CCI), public audit, and parliamentary oversight.”
Senator Rehman pointed out the need for serious reform in regulatory and investment frameworks:
“NEPRA has lost a great deal of investment because it has failed to provide a predictable contractual environment. This is Pakistan’s principal issue — the absence of policy consistency. Governments change policies without consulting anyone, and that undermines investor confidence.”
She also criticized the continued debate around privatization of distribution companies (DISCOs), arguing that “at least the public sector remains answerable, and utility bills are already burdened with Rs 3.6 per unit due to circular debt — something every citizen is paying for.”
Senator Rehman reiterated that despite a nominal energy surplus, citizens continue to face “ghair ilanī load-shedding” (unannounced power outages), and high tariffs keep affordable energy out of reach for millions. “No Pakistani should be left outside the electricity tent,” she declared.
She urged policymakers to “incentivize renewable energy and make it cost-effective for people,” and to communicate reforms in “a language everyone understands.”
“This is a moment to audit, to listen, and to reform — to build an energy sector that works for the people. We don’t need miracles, we just need systems that work,” she concluded.
