ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has said Pakistan is pursuing reforms in the energy sector and a policy of self-sufficiency to strengthen the country’s long-term energy security.
Addressing the Pakistan Energy Conference, the minister said ensuring long-term energy security was essential and stressed the need for continued reforms across the sector.
“Energy sector reforms are being introduced, and we are pursuing a policy of energy self-sufficiency,” Ali Pervaiz Malik said.
He said Pakistan needed to focus on what decisions taken today would deliver for the country in the future.
The minister said an investor-friendly environment was being created in the energy sector, while significant progress had also been made in reducing circular debt.
He stressed that coordination among all segments of the energy sector was essential to achieving sustainable progress.
Speaking about recent developments, Ali Pervaiz Malik said the government had worked on long-term and medium-term energy policies following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the prime minister had constituted a committee that reviews the energy situation every two months.
The petroleum minister also addressed criticism over fuel prices, saying fuel prices change on a daily basis and that his role was to implement decisions rather than personally determine prices.
“I only implement,” he said, responding to criticism over changes in fuel prices.
He said it did not matter how much love or criticism he received, but rather what the decisions being taken today would achieve for the country in the future.
The minister said the government was also taking measures in line with its agreement with the International Monetary Fund. He added that relief had been provided in diesel prices the previous day.
