Pakistan’s solar revolution leaves its middle class behind

Short Url
Updated 29 April 2025
Follow

Pakistan’s solar revolution leaves its middle class behind

Pakistan’s solar revolution leaves its middle class behind
  • Affluent Pakistanis buy cheap Chinese solar panels to counter rising electricity tariffs
  • Most solar panels aren’t connected to sell excess capacity to grid so benefits aren’t widely shared

KARACHI: Amid the forty-degree heat that paralyzed the coastal city of Karachi in April, Saad Saleem blasted his air-conditioning with near-abandon.
Electricity tariffs have surged, but the affluent entrepreneur has been unbothered since he spent $7,500 installing solar panels on his bungalow’s roof as part of a solar boom in Pakistan.

Saleem bought his modules two years ago, as the International Monetary Fund and economically beleaguered Pakistan were hammering out a preliminary bailout program. Under the deal, Pakistan sharply raised power and gas tariffs to support struggling suppliers in the heavily indebted sector.

Pakistanis now pay more than a quarter more on average for electricity, setting off a scramble to install solar modules.

Solar made up over 14 percent of Pakistan’s power supply last year, up from 4 percent in 2021 and displacing coal as the third-largest energy source, according to UK energy think-tank Ember. That is nearly double the share in China, the world’s top supplier of solar panels and a global leader in green technologies, and one of the highest rates in Asia, according to Reuters’ analysis of Ember data.

But the explosion in solar uptake has left out many in Pakistan’s struggling urban middle class, who have been forced to cut back on electricity in face of soaring bills, according to interviews with more than two dozen people, including energy officials, consumers and power-sector analysts. Most of the nation’s solar panels aren’t connected to sell excess capacity to the grid, so the benefits of cheap and reliable power aren’t widely shared.The flight of affluent Pakistanis with solar access from the national grid has dealt a further blow to those relying on pricey conventional sources of power. Electricity companies that lost their most lucrative clients have been forced to additionally hike prices on their shrinking pool of customers to cover operating costs, according to Arzachel, a Karachi-based energy consultancy. 




Syed Fahim Ali, 30, uses a wiper to clean the solar panels installed on the roof top of his home, in Karachi, Pakistan April 5, 2025. (Reuters)

Some observers also blame financial stress in the energy sector on deals Pakistan made with China for Beijing to finance billions of dollars’ worth of power-generation contracts, many of which involve coal-fired plants. Pakistan is behind on many of the payments and has been in talks with China about extending the time it has to repay the debt. 

Countries like South Africa also face widening energy gaps after affluent residents adopted solar power. But analysts are watching Pakistan particularly closely due to the pace at which the nation of 250 million has taken to sun-based energy.

“This could serve as a cautionary tale as to how regulation and policy needs to keep up with technological change and rapidly evolving economics,” said Haneea Isaad, an Islamabad-based energy finance specialist at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

In an interview with Reuters, Pakistan power minister Awais Leghari acknowledged the energy gap but noted that tariffs have come down significantly since June 2024, when the IMF approved reductions.

He also pointed to heavy uptake of solar by rural Pakistanis, many of whom previously had limited access to the grid. Many non-urban Pakistanis have installed small solar setups to meet their power needs, which are typically far lower than those of their city-dwelling counterparts.

“Pakistan has actually gone through a solar revolution,” he said. “The grid is going to get cleaner by the day, and this is something that we’ve achieved as a nation that we are proud of.”
The IMF did not return requests for comment.

ENERGY DIVIDE

Just a few miles away from Saleem’s upscale neighborhood, Nadia Khan has restructured her life to cut electricity costs.

The air-conditioning in the homemaker’s apartment is rarely used and she’s stopped ironing most of the clothes worn by her family of five, citing the price of power.

Khan’s family is not alone in cutting back: Only 1 percent of paying consumers used over 400 units of power in 2024, per Karachi-based consultancy Renewables First, down from 10 percent before the pandemic.

Like others among Pakistan’s masses of apartment dwellers without space to install solar modules, Khan has been shut out of the revolution.

The roofs of many apartment buildings are designated for water storage and other sanitation purposes, while owners of rental buildings have little incentive to invest in solar connections for their tenants.

“We get some sunlight indoors but I can’t seem to think of a way to go solar,” she said. “Why must people living in apartments suffer?“

Meanwhile, land-owning Pakistanis have benefited from the glut of Chinese-made low-cost solar modules shut out of the West by high tariffs.




A worker unloads solar panels from a vehicle at a market, in Karachi, Pakistan March 26, 2025. (Reuters)

China exported 16.6 gigawatts of solar capacity to Pakistan last year, according to Ember, about five times as much as in 2022. The average cost per watt of solar-module capacity exported also fell 54 percent in the same period.

However, most solar setups aren’t configured to send spare power back to the grid, limiting their benefit to the wider public. Renewables expert Syed Faizan Ali Shah, who advises the government on solar adoption, has said that less than 10 percent of solar consumers sell excess power to the grid.

Experts and government officials blame high costs and sanctioning delays. Connecting a solar module to the grid usually takes between three and nine months, said Renewables First energy expert Ahtasam Ahmad, prompting many to not bother.

Converting power generated from a solar panel for transmission to the grid also requires equipment like inverters, which typically cost between $1,400 and $1,800, or roughly half the median household income in Pakistan.

SUNK COSTS

Pakistan conglomerate Interloop has installed hundreds of solar modules next to its cowsheds in Punjab province that help provide the electricity keeping its 9,300 livestock cool and their milk chilled.

The investment in solar has been a lucrative one for Interloop, which typically breaks even on solar installation costs after three to four years. Basic operating costs are about three quarters less than payments to the grid, said Interloop energy manager Faizan Ul Haq.

The money Interloop saves also reflects a gaping hole in the accounts of Pakistan’s power companies.




View of solar panels with cows in the background at an Interloop owned dairy farm, in Sheikhupura, Pakistan April 8, 2025. (Reuters)

Even though industrial groups and wealthier Pakistanis now consume less grid power, suppliers’ costs haven’t changed proportionately. Fixed expenses like fuel contracts and upgrades to transmission architecture accounted for about 70 percent of supplier expenditure in the year to June 2024, according to an Arzachel estimate.

To cover costs, suppliers have raised prices on their remaining customers, who have already faced repeated increases as a result of the IMF deal.

Fixed costs of 200 billion rupees were shifted to non-solar consumers in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, meaning they paid 6.3 percent more per kilowatt-hour than they otherwise would have, according to Arzachel data.

Solar panel imports have increased since, meaning grid demand is likely to continue dropping, forcing remaining customers to pay more.

“Pakistan’s experience demonstrates a crucial lesson: when governments fail to adapt quickly enough, people take charge,” said Ahmad of Renewables First.


Police official guarding polio team shot dead in Pakistan’s southwest

Police official guarding polio team shot dead in Pakistan’s southwest
Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

Police official guarding polio team shot dead in Pakistan’s southwest

Police official guarding polio team shot dead in Pakistan’s southwest
  • Provincial spokesman says the incident occurred in Balochistan’s Nushki district
  • Pakistan reported 74 polio cases last year, including 27 from Balochistan province

ISLAMABAD: A police official providing security to a polio vaccination team was shot dead in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, the provincial administration said, highlighting the persistent threat to workers involved in the country’s polio eradication campaign.

Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, alongside Afghanistan. Efforts to eradicate the disease have faced numerous challenges, including parental refusals, misinformation and persistent attacks by militant groups.

In many remote and volatile regions, vaccination teams operate under police protection, though security personnel themselves have frequently been targeted.

“A police officer was martyred in Nushki while guarding a polio team,” said Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind in a statement.

“The polio campaign is a national duty, and any attack on it is intolerable,” he added. “We pay tribute to the officer who embraced martyrdom in the line of duty.”

The slain officer, identified as Waheed Ahmed, was a resident of Jamalabad, Nushki, according to the provincial spokesperson.

Rind termed the shooting “a conspiracy to sabotage the national campaign and spread fear.” He also vowed stricter action against the perpetrators.

“The government will further strengthen security measures for both polio teams and the personnel assigned to protect them,” he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the incident, expressing sorrow over the death of the police official and extending condolences to his family.

“An attack on a polio team working to safeguard the future of our children is unacceptable,” he said. “Elements opposing the polio campaign will be dealt with firmly.”

Pakistan witnessed a sharp rise in polio cases last year, with 74 children diagnosed with the crippling disease, 27 of them from Balochistan.

So far this year, 10 cases have been reported across the country, prompting authorities to ramp up door-to-door vaccination drives despite the ongoing threat from militant groups.


Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan renews calls on supporters for nationwide protest movement

Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan renews calls on supporters for nationwide protest movement
Updated 27 May 2025
Follow

Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan renews calls on supporters for nationwide protest movement

Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan renews calls on supporters for nationwide protest movement
  • Remarks come amid media speculation of backchannel talks between Khan and the military establishment
  • Khan says when all doors are shut on a political party, peaceful protest becomes the only viable option

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged his party and supporters to prepare for a “full-fledged nationwide protest movement,” renewing his challenge to the country’s government in a social media message from behind bars.

Khan, a former cricket star-turned-politician, was ousted from power in April 2022 through a parliamentary no-confidence vote. He later accused his political rivals and Pakistan’s military leadership of orchestrating his removal in coordination with the United States, a charge denied by all of them.

Following his ouster, Khan led a year-long anti-government campaign, holding rallies and sharply criticizing the army’s role in politics, further escalating civil-military tensions in the country. In August 2023, he was arrested and sentenced on graft charges, and has remained incarcerated since.

“I instruct my party, workers and supporters to get ready for a vigorous, countrywide movement,” Khan said in Urdu on the social media platform X. “This time, I will call for all of Pakistan to rise, not just Islamabad.”

The remarks come amid persistent speculation of backchannel talks between Khan’s camp and the military establishment, with reports suggesting he might accept a deal to secure release. However, Khan dismissed such suggestions in the same message, saying he would never bow to tyranny or accept injustice.

“I would rather spend my entire life behind bars than kneel before oppression and authoritarianism,” he said, adding the rule of law remained the central goal of his political struggle.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has repeatedly complained about a persistent government crackdown, with dozens of its leaders and workers detained. Khan said that peaceful protest was now the only option left.

“When all doors are shut on a political party, when oppression is inflicted and the judiciary is not free, peaceful protest is the only path left,” he said.

The former prime minister also addressed his party members directly in the message, warning those who defied party discipline and appeared to be aligning with rival interests.

“None of you are ‘electable’ in your own right,” he said. “You won on the basis of an ideology. I know who’s playing both sides on the wicket. Anyone who doesn’t follow party orders has no place in PTI.”

Khan added he intends to hold intra-party elections at the first available opportunity to bring grassroots workers into leadership positions.

“Party elections are essential so that committed workers can rise to the top,” he said.

While no date or timeline for the protest movement was announced, the call raises the prospect of renewed political instability in a country still reeling from economic crisis, a fragile coalition government and volatile civil-military relations.


India and Pakistan’s drone battles mark new arms race in Asia

India and Pakistan’s drone battles mark new arms race in Asia
Updated 27 May 2025
Follow

India and Pakistan’s drone battles mark new arms race in Asia

India and Pakistan’s drone battles mark new arms race in Asia
  • India plans to invest as much as $470 million on UAVs over the next 12 to 24 months
  • Pakistan is likely to advance domestic drone production with Turkish and Chinese help

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: A little after 8:00 p.m. on May 8, red flares streaked through the night sky over the northern Indian city of Jammu as its air-defense systems opened fire on drones from neighboring Pakistan.

The Indian and Pakistani militaries have deployed high-end fighter jets, conventional missiles and artillery during decades of clashes, but the four days of fighting in May marked the first time New Delhi and Islamabad utilized unmanned aerial vehicles at scale against each other.

The fighting halted after the US announced it brokered a ceasefire but the South Asian powers, which spent more than $96 billion on defense last year, are now locked in a drones arms race, according to Reuters’ interviews with 15 people, including security officials, industry executives and analysts in the two countries.

Two of them said they expect increased use of UAVs by the nuclear-armed neighbors because small-scale drone attacks can strike targets without risking personnel or provoking uncontrollable escalation.

India plans to invest heavily in local industry and could spend as much as $470 million on UAVs over the next 12 to 24 months, roughly three times pre-conflict levels, said Smit Shah of Drone Federation India, which represents over 550 companies and regularly interacts with the government.

The previously unreported forecast, which came as India this month approved roughly $4.6 billion in emergency military procurement funds, was corroborated by two other industry executives. The Indian military plans to use some of that additional funding on combat and surveillance drones, according to two Indian officials familiar with the matter.

Defense procurement in India tends to involve years of bureaucratic processes but officials are now calling drone makers in for trials and demonstrations at an unprecedented pace, said Vishal Saxena, a vice president at Indian UAV firm ideaForge Technology.

The Pakistan Air Force, meanwhile, is pushing to acquire more UAVs as it seeks to avoid risking its high-end aircraft, said a Pakistani source familiar with the matter. Pakistan and India both deployed cutting-edge generation 4.5 fighter jets during the latest clashes but cash-strapped Islamabad only has about 20 high-end Chinese-made J-10 fighters compared to the three dozen Rafales that Delhi can muster.

Pakistan is likely to build on existing relationships to intensify collaboration with China and Turkiye to advance domestic drone research and production capabilities, said Oishee Majumdar of defense intelligence firm Janes.

Islamabad is relying on a collaboration between Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park and Turkish defense contractor Baykar that locally assembles the YIHA-III drone, the Pakistani source said, adding a unit could be produced domestically in between two to three days.

Pakistan’s military declined to respond to Reuters’ questions. The Indian defense ministry and Baykar did not return requests for comment.

An Indian army soldier looks at a drone at Akhnoor sector near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region on May 19, 2025. (AFP/File)

India and Pakistan “appear to view drone strikes as a way to apply military pressure without immediately provoking large-scale escalation,” said King’s College London political scientist Walter Ladwig III.

“UAVs allow leaders to demonstrate resolve, achieve visible effects, and manage domestic expectations — all without exposing expensive aircraft or pilots to danger,” he added.

But such skirmishes are not entirely risk-free, and Ladwig noted that countries could also send UAVs to attack contested or densely populated areas where they might not previously have used manned platforms.

DRONE SWARMS AND VINTAGE GUNS

The fighting in May, which was the fiercest in this century between the neighbors, came after an April 22 militant attack in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists.

Delhi blamed the killings on “terrorists” backed by Islamabad, which denied the charge. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed revenge and Delhi on May 7 launched air strikes on what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan.

The next night, Pakistan sent hordes of drones along a 1,700-kilometer (772-mile) front with India, with between 300 and 400 of them pushing in along 36 locations to probe Indian air defenses, Indian officials have said.

Pakistan depended on Turkish-origin YIHA-III and Asisguard Songar drones, as well as the Shahpar-II UAV produced domestically by the state-owned Global Industrial & Defense Solutions conglomerate, according to two Pakistani sources.

But much of this drone deployment was cut down by Cold War-era Indian anti-aircraft guns that were rigged to modern military radar and communication networks developed by state-run Bharat Electronics, according to two Indian officials.

A Pakistan source denied that large numbers of its drones were shot down on May 8, but India did not appear to sustain significant damage from that drone raid.

India’s use of the anti-aircraft guns, which had not been designed for anti-drone-warfare, turned out to be surprisingly effective, said retired Indian Brig. Anshuman Narang, now an UAV expert at Delhi’s Center for Joint Warfare Studies.

“Ten times better than what I’d expected,” he said.

India also sent Israeli HAROP, Polish WARMATE and domestically-produced UAVs into Pakistani airspace, according to one Indian and two Pakistan sources. Some of them were also used for precision attacks on what two Indian officials described as military and militant infrastructure.

The two Pakistani security sources confirmed that India deployed a large number of the HAROPs — a long-range loitering munition drone manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. Such UAVs, also known as suicide drones, stay over a target before crashing down and detonating on impact. Pakistan set up decoy radars in some areas to draw in the HAROPs, or waited for their flight time to come toward its end, so that they fell below 3,000 feet and could be shot down, a third Pakistani source said.

Drones are displayed during the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2024) in Karachi, Pakistan November 21, 2024. (Reuters/File)

Both sides claim to have notched victories in their use of UAVs.

India successfully targeted infrastructure within Pakistan with minimal risk to personnel or major platforms, said KCL’s Ladwig. For Pakistan’s military, which claimed to have struck Indian defense facilities with UAVs, drone attacks allow it to signal action while drawing less international scrutiny than conventional methods, he noted.

CHEAP BUT WITH AN ACHILLES HEEL

Despite the loss of many drones, both sides are doubling down.

“We’re talking about relatively cheap technology,” said Washington-based South Asia expert Michael Kugelman. “And while UAVs don’t have the shock and awe effect of missiles and fighter jets, they can still convey a sense of power and purpose for those that launch them.”

Indian defense planners are likely to expand domestic development of loitering munitions UAVs, according to an Indian security source and Sameer Joshi of Indian UAV maker NewSpace, which is deepening its research and development on such drones.
“Their ability to loiter, evade detection, and strike with precision marked a shift toward high-value, low-cost warfare with mass produced drones,” said Joshi, whose firm supplies the Indian military.

And firms like ideaForge, which has supplied over 2,000 UAVs to the Indian security forces, are also investing on enhancing the ability of its drones to be less vulnerable to electronic warfare, said Saxena.

Another vulnerability that is harder to address is the Indian drone program’s reliance on hard-to-replace components from China, an established military partner of Pakistan, four Indian dronemakers and officials said.

India continues to depend on China-made magnets and lithium for UAV batteries, said Drone Federation India’s Shah.

“Weaponization of the supply chain is also an issue,” said ideaForge’s Saxena on the possibility of Beijing shutting the tap on components in certain situations.

For instance, Chinese restrictions on the sale of drones and components to Ukraine have weakened Kyiv’s ability to produce critical combat drones, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank.

A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said in response to Reuters’ questions that Beijing has always implemented export controls on dual-use items in accordance with domestic laws and regulations as well as its international obligations.

“Diversification of supply chain is a medium to long term problem,” said Shah. “You can’t solve it in short term.”


Pakistan PM lauds Iran’s engagement in nuclear talks with US, hopes for positive outcome

Pakistan PM lauds Iran’s engagement in nuclear talks with US, hopes for positive outcome
Updated 27 May 2025
Follow

Pakistan PM lauds Iran’s engagement in nuclear talks with US, hopes for positive outcome

Pakistan PM lauds Iran’s engagement in nuclear talks with US, hopes for positive outcome
  • Shehbaz Sharif meets with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his trip to Tehran
  • He briefs Khamenei about Pakistan’s four-day military standoff with India earlier this month

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday praised the Iranian leadership for its “farsightedness” in pursuing nuclear negotiations with the United States and expressed hope for a positive outcome during a meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

Sharif arrived in Iran earlier in the day after a stop in Istanbul, as part of a regional diplomacy tour that includes upcoming visits to Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. His trip follows a brief but intense military standoff with neighboring India, in which the two nuclear-armed rivals exchanged missile, drone and artillery fire.

Pakistan has thanked Tehran for its support during the conflict.

“The Prime Minister praised the farsightedness of the Iranian leadership in pursuing the nuclear negotiations with the United States and hoped that a constructive deal is reached between the two countries that can promote peace and stability in the region,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.

Talks between Iran and the US aim to limit Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions. A key sticking point remains uranium enrichment, with Washington asking Iran to halt its program, while Tehran insisting on its right to continue enrichment for civilian purposes.

During the meeting, Sharif also informed Khamenei about Pakistan’s recent conflict with India and accused New Delhi of “hegemonistic and revisionist designs.”

He emphasized Pakistan’s desire for regional peace and economic development, and expressed a commitment to deepening strategic cooperation with Iran “in complex geo-political times.”

The Prime Minister’s Office said Khamenei praised Sharif’s efforts to promote peace and regional stability and reaffirmed support for closer bilateral ties.

Earlier on Monday, Sharif also met newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

At a joint press conference, the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation, with Pezeshkian emphasizing the need for secure and peaceful borders free from militant and criminal activity.

Relations between the two neighbors became strained last year after Iran launched strikes inside Pakistani territory against suspected militant hideouts, prompting retaliatory strikes by Islamabad against separatist militants in Iran.

Both sides have since sought to de-escalate tensions and pledged to respect each other’s sovereignty.

Sharif concluded his meeting with Khamenei by inviting the Supreme Leader to visit Islamabad and expressed appreciation for his admiration of Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan’s national poet.


Pakistan slams Indian PM’s ‘bullet’ warning to citizens, says his remarks violate UN Charter

Pakistan slams Indian PM’s ‘bullet’ warning to citizens, says his remarks violate UN Charter
Updated 27 May 2025
Follow

Pakistan slams Indian PM’s ‘bullet’ warning to citizens, says his remarks violate UN Charter

Pakistan slams Indian PM’s ‘bullet’ warning to citizens, says his remarks violate UN Charter
  • Modi asked Pakistanis to rid their country of ‘the disease of terrorism’ or prepare themselves for his ‘bullet’
  • The foreign office says India’s escalating rhetoric is posing a risk to regional stability, efforts for lasting peace

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday condemned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warning to its citizens to eliminate terrorism or face his “bullet,” calling it a violation of the United Nations Charter, which urges member states to settle disputes peacefully and refrain from threats or the use of force.

Tensions have remained high between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since an April attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement, but the situation escalated into a four-day military conflict before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced.

The US administration said both countries had agreed to meet at a neutral venue to discuss their outstanding issues. Pakistan has expressed readiness for a “composite dialogue” on all matters, though talks have yet to take place amid domestic criticism in India over accepting international mediation.

“Pakistan has taken note of the recent remarks by the Prime Minister of India, delivered in Gujarat with the theatrical flourish of a campaign rally rather than the sobriety expected of the leader of a nuclear-armed state,” the foreign office said in a statement issued early Tuesday.

“Such statements blatantly violate the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, which obliges member states to resolve disputes peacefully and to refrain from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty or political independence of other states,” it added.

Islamabad called the remarks “a reckless provocation” and accused India of trying to deflect attention from what it described as rights abuses and demographic changes in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Modi said during the rally the people of Pakistan, especially its youth, must step forward to rid their country of “the disease of terrorism.”

“Live a life of peace, eat your bread or else my bullet is always an option,” he added, drawing applause from the crowd.

Responding to his comment, the foreign office said: “Pakistan’s record as a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping and its consistent cooperation in global counter-terrorism efforts speak louder than any hostile soundbite.”

It noted if extremism was truly a concern for India, it should focus on rising religious intolerance and the marginalization of minorities under what it called “the increasingly brutal Hindutva ideology.”

While reaffirming its commitment to peace based on mutual respect and sovereign equality, Pakistan warned any threat to its security or territorial integrity would be met with “firm and proportionate measures,” citing Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The foreign office also urged the international community to take “serious note” of India’s escalating rhetoric, saying it posed a risk to regional stability and efforts toward lasting peace.