The Sindh government has initiated the distribution of Solar Home Systems (SHS) to 200,000 low-income households, a move aimed at promoting renewable energy and alleviating energy poverty. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced the initiative at a ceremony organized under the Sindh Solar Energy Project (SSEP) near DHA Phase-I, Karachi.
Addressing the gathering, CM Murad Ali Shah emphasized the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) commitment to clean energy solutions. He revealed that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has already directed the procurement of an additional 300,000 solar units, which will be provided to families in need.
The CM lamented the barriers imposed on wind and solar energy projects in the past, stating that such restrictions hindered Sindh’s ability to develop sustainable energy solutions. Despite these hurdles, the provincial government took the initiative to set up imported coal power plants to meet energy demands.
Highlighting Sindh’s pioneering role in solar energy, Murad Ali Shah recalled that in 2014, the government solarized 600 schools in Nagarparkar and launched two 25-megawatt solar power projects in Sukkur. However, he criticized the federal government’s reluctance to approve additional power generation projects, despite the country facing prolonged power outages.
“If there is a surplus of electricity, why does Karachi and the rest of Sindh still experience load shedding?” questioned the CM. He attributed the crisis not to an energy surplus but to the federal government’s failure in power generation and distribution.
Murad Ali Shah recounted how the federal government once dismissed Thar coal as unsuitable for power generation, creating further obstacles in Sindh’s energy roadmap. He acknowledged former President Asif Ali Zardari’s key role in securing federal support for the Thar Coal Project, ensuring its eventual implementation despite financial and bureaucratic challenges.
“The Thar coal project began delivering results in 2018, with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari personally overseeing the site,” the CM stated. Today, Thar’s coal-powered plants generate some of Pakistan’s cheapest electricity, proving the skeptics wrong.
