Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and Iranian Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam in Islamabad. Photo APP
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Iran have agreed to strengthen energy cooperation, with work on a second cross-border transmission line expected to begin soon and discussions underway to expand the current 100 MW electricity supply arrangement, officials said on Thursday.
The development came during a meeting between Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and Iranian Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam in Islamabad.
Moghaddam expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s support during challenging times and highlighted ongoing energy cooperation, including existing transmission infrastructure. He noted that Pakistani energy institutions, including CPPA-G, QESCO and NGC, would be invited to participate in the upcoming session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Commission in Tehran.
The envoy also emphasised the potential for expanding bilateral cooperation in agriculture and food products. He appreciated Pakistan’s commitment to timely payments under the existing electricity payment mechanism.
Leghari stressed the importance of longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran. He observed that no country remains untouched by regional instability and that recent conflicts have affected economies across the world. Pakistan, he noted, has also faced the impact of rising global energy prices, particularly due to higher RLNG costs.
The minister reaffirmed that the people of Pakistan sincerely desire peace and stability in the region and emphasised that the country’s leadership continues to work closely with Iranian leadership in support of peaceful dialogue and resolution of regional challenges.
Leghari appreciated Iran’s uninterrupted electricity supply despite the difficult regional security environment and expressed interest in sending Pakistani technical experts to study how the Iranian power sector maintained stability of its national grid under challenging circumstances.
Highlighting the strategic importance of Gwadar, the minister said the city’s continued development depends on a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply. While electricity imports from Iran have continued without interruption, Gwadar faces network reliability challenges requiring further investment in transmission infrastructure.
Leghari added that Pakistan is also interested in investing in local power generation in Gwadar. He stated that electricity imports from Iran will remain an integral part of long-term energy planning and may increase as Gwadar’s demand continues to grow.
The ambassador shared that bilateral trade is expected to reach around $4 billion by the end of the year. He expressed Iran’s interest in routing a significant portion of its trade through Pakistani ports.
