Senate informed electricity agreements with Iran

ISLAMABAD: The upper house of the parliament was informed on Thursday about the successful agreements of importing electricity from Iran on low rates.Senators Lashker Raesani and Dr Ismail Baladi who were part of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) delegation that visited Iran to negotiate power imports on low tariff rates, informed the senate about the agreements.Ismail Baladi told the senate that it was after three years that the agreement to import electricity for Makran Division was signed, saying that there was a dispute on tariff rates as Iran was offering electricity Rs.13/unit while Pakistan wanted it at the rate of Rs.7.”With our efforts, Iran has signed the agreement whereby it would provide electricity at as low rates as Rs.7/unit”, Baladi told the Senate.In the successful talks, initially Iran would provide 35.7 megawatt (MW) electricity at Rs7/unit to the Makran Division from the next month, Baledi said.Lashker Raesani told the senate that an agreement under which Iran would provide 100 MW electricity to Gwader port in 6 months on the same rates was also signed on the occasion.He said that another agreement of 1000MW electricity import could be materialized within next one and a half year provided the Water and Power Ministry negotiates with Iranian government.Meanwhile, Rahim Mandokhel appreciated the efforts of senators on the successful agreements, however urged the government to set up transmission line from Dera Ismail Khan and Zhob to Quetta to solve the issue on permanent basis.