PM Shehbaz Wants to Convert Tubewells in Punjab, Sindh and KP to Solar Power

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday that the federal government would partner with the provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to improve farmer welfare by converting agricultural tube wells to solar power, following a similar initiative in Balochistan. Chairing a meeting on solarizing agricultural tube wells and combating power theft at the PM House, the prime minister emphasized that solar energy is the cheapest way to produce electricity. He stated that promoting solar energy is a top government priority. PM Shehbaz directed authorities to create a detailed strategy for converting agricultural tube wells to solar energy, in consultation with the provincial governments. In the meeting, it was revealed that switching diesel-powered tube wells to solar energy would save $2.7 billion in foreign exchange. The prime minister also instructed the formulation of a comprehensive plan to enhance measures against electricity theft. He praised the provincial governments for their cooperation with the Power Ministry and urged the introduction of a smart metering system to prevent overbilling. Since the anti-power theft campaign began in September 2023, 74,366 people have been arrested, 174,562 FIRs have been registered, and 46 employees of Power Distribution Companies have been suspended. Furthermore, 1,113 new electricity meters were recently installed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and about 12,000 illegal connections were removed, with a total of 421,460 cases filed nationwide.