The over $1 billion Central Asia-South Asia-1000 (CASA-1000) power project, it is said, is a flagship project, and the first of its kind that will link Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan through a common power grid. Upon completion of the project, Pakistan and Afghanistan would obtain 1,000MW and 300MW of electricity, respectively, in the summer from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The project is expected to bring a number of economic and environmental benefits ie, help reduce energy deficit, improve trade and business links, in addition to promoting friendship among the partner countries. It would not be inappropriate to say that the project would bring the cooperating countries closer to each other and open new avenues for mutually beneficial economic collaboration.
We urgently need to come out of the power crisis if we want to attain developmental goals successfully and alleviate the sufferings of people. CASA-1000 is a ray of hope for us to partially reduce our long-drawn power crisis. This, however, should not encourage complacency among those managing the power issue in the government. In fact, CASA-1000 should form the basis for carving out and implementing similar projects or projects of greater magnitude to overcome the debilitating power shortage in the country as quickly as possible.
M Fazal Elahi
Islamabad