Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry today chaired a significant briefing on "IGCEP 2025-35: The Politics of Energy Generation in Pakistan" hosted by the Parliamentary Forum on Energy and Economy.
In his keynote address, Barrister Danyal Chaudhry stated that "this plan that determines Pakistan's energy future is not merely a technical document, but a covenant with the nation. Providing affordable, reliable and clean energy for our coming generations is our national responsibility."
He further added that "while respecting provincial autonomy, we will implement this plan with national unity. In the energy sector, our effort is to provide quality electricity to every citizen, give businesses opportunities for growth, and set the country on the path to economic stability."
Chief Guest Senator Sherry Rehman, in her address, highlighted a critical concern "The Indicative Plan remains overly centralized, relying too heavily on input from Islamabad while neglecting the crucial perspectives of the provinces. It is essential that voices from the peripheries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab are meaningfully included in the planning process." She emphasized that "the transition to renewable energy is inevitable. We must prioritize environmental protection in our power projects."
The session also addressed fundamental questions about the IGCEP preparation process. Concerns were raised about the absence of two key federal entities during the planning stage. First, the provinces, which under Article 157 of the Constitution after the 18th Amendment, have been granted powers for generation, distribution, and tariff determination of electricity, making electricity a concurrent subject. Ideally, this generation document should be presented in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) with formal channels of communication and consensus-building with the provinces. Second, the IGCEP must engage Parliament, either through a formal presentation in the chamber or at least in the Standing Committees.
Forum convener Dr. Nafisa Shah elaborated on the forum's mission, stating, "The Parliamentary Forum on Energy and Economy is a cross-party group of parliamentarians that aims to provide a platform for open and honest discussion, research-based debate, and interaction among members, experts, policy makers and, most importantly, citizens focused on the serious, chronic and crippling challenges that Pakistan confronts in energy and economy today." Regarding the session, she noted, "The IGCEP is largely a technical document, but this effort aims to promote energy democracy by including both experts and parliamentarians and the media to unpack a very opaque document."
Experts Mr. Muhammad Badar Alam and Mr. Omer Haroon Malik provided detailed technical briefings on the plan, while Engr. Imtiaz Hussain Baloch shed light on NEPRA's regulatory role.
Provincial perspectives were presented by Senator Sana Baloch (Balochistan), Mr. Ahmed Kundi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mr. Mujeeb ul Haq (Sindh), and Mr. Muhammad Zubair (Secretary Energy & Power, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
Members of the National Assembly Mr. Asad Alam Niazi, Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Mr. Usama Mela, and Mr. Mobeen Arif contributed parliamentary perspectives. The session concluded with remarks from Dr. Shezra Mansab Ali, Minister of State for Climate Change.
