Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the introduction of a smart metering system across Pakistan to address power theft and has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to solar energy for agricultural tube wells. During a meeting in Islamabad on Friday, Sharif discussed the solarization of agricultural tube wells and strategies to prevent power theft.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Prime Minister has resolved to work with provincial governments to shift agricultural tube wells to solar energy in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following the successful implementation in Balochistan. He emphasized solar energy as a cost-effective solution and a top priority for his administration.

Sharif instructed officials to develop a comprehensive strategy for transitioning to solar energy after consulting with the provincial governments. Additionally, he called for an improved plan to enhance measures against electricity theft and praised the provinces for their cooperation with the Power Ministry in these efforts.

The meeting also focused on the economic benefits of solar energy, highlighting that the shift from diesel-powered agricultural tube wells to solar could save $2.7 billion in foreign exchange. The Prime Minister was briefed on recent successes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where over a thousand new meters were installed and approximately twelve thousand illegal connections were removed.

Further, Sharif directed each electricity distribution company in the four provinces to develop a model for smart metering and unequivocally stated that over-billing in electricity bills would not be tolerated.