Pakistan must tap alternate energy resources: Rana Iqbal

Speaker Punjab Assembly, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan has said that Pakistan should develop coal fired power plants and tap alternate energy resources like wind and solar energy. He was addressing the 33rd annual convention and general meeting of Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Pakistan (IEEEP) on Saturday.
The newly elected President of IEEEP, Engineer Tahir Basharat Cheema and sitting president, Engineer Muhammad Anwar Khalid also spoke on the occasion. Iqbal said that country is facing shortage of power as well as the ever increasing power rates which need to be stemmed and brought in line with the paying capacity of the consumers. This needs to be done on priority otherwise both the industry and agriculture would simply have to shut down. He observed that the development of industry is only possible when ample energy is available at reasonable rates, which is only possible through innovative solutions.
He called upon the IEEEP to come forward and harness the energy resources available in the country. He said that our country is a developing country and we need both traditional and modern knowledge. He stressed upon the electrical engineers to collectively as well as individually strive hard to maintain the performance of the existing thermal and hydel power plants. They should also try to expedite commissioning of the power plants under construction to increase generation capacity and tackle shortage of power, he maintained.
Speaking on the occasion Tahir Basharat Cheema said that an endowment fund with the cost of rupees 100 million will be established for research at IEEEP. Some noted and trusted worthy personalities will be taken, as its trustees while it will be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
He further said that IEEE's national commission on energy will be formed which will comprise notables and experts from the Pakistani civil society. This commission will guide the government and other public sector organisations in formulation of established policies and implementation plans to overcome the ongoing energy crisis. Highlighting other initiatives that will be taken by the new body, he said these would be to include membership revival, reshaping of technical journal, construction of IEEE building in Islamabad and Lahore and introducing IEEEP awards to honour engineering excellence.
Expressing his views, Muhammad Anwar Khalid said that being the biggest professional organisation in the country, IEEEP has a membership of more than 5,000 engineers that unconditionally offer services in the overall development and promotion of national policies.
He said that the engineers should be consulted in the matters pertaining to professional and carrier development of other engineers. It would also be appropriate if our nominees are placed on various committees, taskforces and allied bodies, he added. Khalid informed that IEEEP is a purely technical body and its recommendations will be considered as unbiased because they are purely based on the precept of engineering.