Governor calls for policy to boost local solar manufacturing

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has called for a policy framework to promote domestic manufacturing of solar systems, saying Pakistan could create millions of jobs, generate clean and affordable energy and earn valuable foreign exchange by developing a local solar industry. “It is unfortunate that solar system manufacturing is not being done due to lack of a government policy, ” the governor said while addressing the third International Solar Power Conclave & Solar Technology Excellence Awards 2026, organised by Energy Update in collaboration with the Pakistan Solar Association (PSA), Renewable Energy Association of Pakistan (REAP) and Pakistan Alternative Energy Association (PAEA) at a local hotel on Friday. He said the high cost of electricity had made solar energy increasingly important for ordinary Pakistanis, describing sunlight as “Allah’s gift” that should be utilised to reduce the burden of electricity bills while also protecting the environment. Punjab Minister for Energy Faisal Ayub said Pakistan had experienced its worst electricity load-shedding crisis beginning in 2009-10, which, he said, was overcome during the PML-N government’s 2013-18 tenure. He recalled that in Punjab, the then chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had installed power plants to address the electricity shortage, but said the country was now facing a different challenge, the high cost of electricity. Naeem Qureshi, Managing Editor of Energy Update, said the organisation was celebrating its 20th anniversary after being launched in 2006 with the objective of promoting renewable energy in Pakistan. He said energy update had so far organised around 180 seminars, training workshops, policy discussions and international conferences to promote renewable energy. Earlier, a panel discussion featuring Director Energy Institute LUMS Dr Naveed Arshad, Managing Director National Grid Company Altaf Hussain, Zohaib-ul-Haq Techinal Head Growatt Pakistan and Mian Fahad Regional Head TBEA, Central and South Asia focused on energy storage and Pakistan’s evolving renewable energy landscape. Dr Naveed Arshad described battery storage as “a new AI for the energy sector” and said Pakistan’s energy transition by 2035 would move beyond its current model of distributed energy into five new dimensions: distributed storage, microgrids and vertical power plants, AI and data analytics, energy efficiency and conservation, and circularity. Ceo Inverex Solar Energy M. Zakir Ali also addressed on this occasion. A second panel discussion, moderated by Dr Jawaria Shakeel, Director Sustainability at Assure International, examined investment opportunities in photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar batteries. The discussion included Hussain Diwan of Diwan International, Joseph Chu, Director C&I Energy Storage Pakistan, Muhammad Farhan, CEO Power Highway, Hasnat Khan, Senior Vice President PSA, and Maroof Ahmad Zubairi of AESL. Later, Chief Guest Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan conferred recognition on leading participants of the renewable energy industry for their contributions to Pakistan’s solar and renewable energy sector. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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