Islamabad and Tashkent will soon initiate technical-levels talks on Uzbekistan’s offer to export 1,000 MW electricity to Pakistan.

“These talks will be part of the follow up of the recent visit of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilian to Uzbekistan on March 24-26. During the visit, Uzbek President Islam Krimov offered to export electricity to Pakistan given that Tashkent is already exporting 300 MW of electricity to Kabul,” a senior official at the Ministry of Water and Power told The News.

Pakistan and Tajikistan are also engaged in talks on the Central Asia South Asia Regional Energy and Trade (CASA-1000) project under which Pakistan will import 1,000 MW of electricity.

However, the low riparian Central Asian Sates (CASs) are opposing this project on the plea that Tajikistan is generating electricity by developing huge water reservoirs, depriving them of their water inflows.

Tajikistan also wants to build the Ragun Dam and export electricity to Pakistan. “The Central Asian States are opposing this move because if Pakistan imports electricity from the upper riparian country of Tajikistan, then Pakistan, which is in a legal battle with India over a similar grievance, will not only weaken its own case but provide an opportunity to India to strengthen its case that Islamabad has indeed acknowledged the right of New Dehil as an upper riparian to build Kishenganga project.

“So, importing electricity from Tajikistan could be lethal for Pakistan,” explains an expert. Secretary Javed Iqbal confirmed to The News that he would soon send a technical experts’ team to Tashkent to follow up on the visit the prime minister.

In order to determine if the plan to import electricity is feasible, the team will discuss the viability of the import of electricity from Uzbekistan, as well as talk about tariffs and the route for laying the transmission line.

Sources said Tashkent authorities have also indicated that if Pakistan decides in principle to import electricity from Uzbekistan, they will ask the World Bank and ADB to fund the transmission line of 500kv to ensure the smooth supply of 1,000MW of electricity to Pakistan.

Uzbekistan is already exporting 300MW of electricity to Kabul (Afghanistan) at somewhere between 5-6 cents per unit. Uzbek authorities want to extend the transmission line from Kabul to Pakistan and provide electricity, but it is not possible at the moment since 300MW is being exported to Kabul through a 250kv transmission line.