Pakistani province to increase electricity imports from Iran

Pakistan's Southwestern province of Baluchistan plans to increase power imports from Iran, a Pakistani provincial official said. Chief Minister of Baluchistan Province Abdul Malik Baloch Tuesday underlined the need for the import of 1,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Iran to meet part of the 1,600-MW energy demand in Pakistan’s largest province. In mid-June, Pakistani officials underlined their emphasis on boosting bilateral relations with Iran, specially in the energy sector. Chief Minister-designate Shahbaz Sharif said at the time that strengthening ties with neighboring countries forms the basis of the PML-N's foreign policy. "Iran is not only our neighbor, it is also one of our closest friends and it has always stood by Pakistan in the testing times," he said during a meeting with Iranian Ambassador Alireza Haqiqian. Shahbaz said that brotherly ties between the two countries must be transformed into an economic relationship. "We will welcome Iran's investment in energy and other sectors in Punjab," he said. The Iranian ambassador assured Shahbaz of Iran's cooperation in the energy sector, and said Tehran could help Punjab generate 2,000MW of electricity if some hurdles were removed. Electricity is supplied to Pakistani towns near the Iranian border, including Gwadar port.