Federal Minister for Energy Owais Ahmed Khan Laghari has said that Pakistan is unlikely to be significantly affected by potential disruptions in global LNG (liquefied natural gas) supplies.
In an interview with British news agency, Laghari explained that increasing local electricity generation has reduced the impact of LNG supply constraints compared to previous years.
Currently, about 74 percent of Pakistan’s electricity is generated from domestic sources, and the government aims to increase this share to over 96 percent by 2034.
The minister highlighted that rapid growth in solar energy, expansion of nuclear power, hydropower, and domestic coal-based electricity projects have played a key role in making the country more energy self-sufficient.
According to Laghari, LNG currently accounts for only around 10 percent of electricity production in Pakistan and is primarily used to meet peak evening demand and stabilize the grid.
He added that even in a worst-case scenario where LNG supply is suspended for several months, load shedding during evening hours in summer would be limited to one or two hours, with minimal impact on industry and agriculture.
Laghari noted that electricity generation capacity in Pakistan now exceeds demand due to the inclusion of multiple coal, LNG, and nuclear projects, along with a significant increase in rooftop solar installations, which has reduced daytime grid load.
Currently, approximately 55 percent of electricity in Pakistan comes from clean energy sources, and the government aims to raise this share to over 90 percent by 2034.
The minister provided figures showing that hydropower generates about 40 terawatt-hours annually, nuclear power produces around 22 terawatt-hours, and domestic coal contributes roughly 12 terawatt-hours.
He further stated that the total capacity of rooftop solar systems across homes in Pakistan has exceeded 20 gigawatts, significantly reducing daytime electricity demand. Laghari emphasized that future energy projects will focus more on local and clean sources to further reduce external dependency in the sector.