PML (N) on Monday presented policy outlines coupled with short and long terms measures to overcome present energy crisis in the country by developing natural resources and enhancing efficiency of concerned departments.
The policy outlines were presented at a day long 'Energy for growth and sustainable development conference' which was attended by party leaders, think tank, experts in oil and gas sector.

The conference was to be presided over by President, PML (N), Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and attended by Chief Minister of Punjab, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif but both did not turn up owing to some undisclosed reasons.

PML (N) Central Leader, Ishaq Dar suggested measures to overcome energy crisis and pointed out that concrete steps were needed to reduce Rs.800 billion circular debt which was hampering the economic development in the country.

Deputy Secretary General, PML (N) Ahsan Iqbal delivered welcome remarks while Miftah Ismail presented PML (N) proposed energy strategy.

Taking part in Open House - Roundtable Discussion, former Chairman, Wapda, Shamsul Mulk said that the energy crisis could be overcome by water management in the country.

He said in a bid to increase hydel power production, the construction of dams on Indus and Jhelum rivers was need of the hour.

Vice Chancellor, Hamdard University, Dr Naseem A Khan called for adopting alternate energy approach and said the nation should be taken into confidence about the true perception of energy problem.

He stressed the development of financial resources, technology and human resources to overcome the present energy crisis.

Former, Managing Director, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Najam Haider pointed out that no new oil and gas exploration was made during the last several years.

He opined that piping gas was the only solution as LPG and LNG would not resolve the issue on long term basis.

Asad Omar said that era of cheap energy had gone and the people should be prepared about the fact that no investment would come unless the fuel prices would enhance.

Chief Executive Sachal Engineering Group, Syed Hussain Gardezi proposed to encourage private sector to invest in energy projects.

He asked the government to ensure time completion of all the projects to save the time and financing.

Dr Faiz Ahmed Bhutta suggested to devise a road map for renewable energy and said there should be on grid and off grid areas in urban and rural areas respectively for development of renewable energy.

Chairman, Air Blue Airlines, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the consumers should pay the price of the consumed electricity.

He stressed to reduce the debt circular and opined that price differential should be reduced by installation of small power units in the country.

Prof Dr Zaheer said that the country needed bold decisions and asked to involve both public and private sector to overcome the crisis.

Engineer Sultan Mehmood Mian called for increasing use of solar energy and asked all the political parties to include technical experts in their ranks to meet the challenge of energy.

Former AJK Prime Minister, Raja Farooq Haider said that Azad Kashmir should be made part of all agreements of power generations and dam construction.

He said royalty of natural resources should be spent for the development of the people of the respective area.

Khurram Dastgir said that tariff should be rationalized by reducing line losses and power theft.

Sardar Sanaullah Zehri said that oil and gas exploration should be enhanced in the country.

He opined that the external pressure should be set aside to import gas from neighbouring countries.

Syed Ghous Ali Shah said that proposals regarding alternate energy resources should be utilized to enhance country's power production.

He said controversial issue and project should not be initiated without evolving consensus.

In his concluding remarks, Chairman PML (N) Manifesto Committee, Sartaj Aziz said that there was a broad based consensus that hydel, coal, solar and wind energy should be developed in the country.

He said that the Europe and America transformed their economies through cheap energy but we have to take short term and long term measures for construction of hydel projects and reduce line losses.