DUSHANBE, November 11, 2014, Asia-Plus — Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif says Pakistan is looking forward to greater regional connectivity with China and its partners in Central Asia to alleviate poverty.
Pakistan’s
Diplomatic Focus
reports he said this in a statement at the “Dialogue on Strengthening Connectivity Partnership” in Beijing on November 8.
He said there is a need of increasing connectivity in Asian countries for collective development of the region and alleviating poverty.
The Pakistani prime minister said CASA 1000 power project among Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan will alleviate Pakistan’s energy shortfall to some extent.
The Central Asia South Asia Electricity Trade and Transmission Project (CASA 1000) is designed to transmit 1,300MW of surplus electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan through Afghanistan, which is going to consume 300MW, to Pakistan.
The CASA 1000 Project is expected to develop the necessary physical infrastructure and create the institutional and legal framework to transmit surplus power available from existing generation facilities in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The physical infrastructure for CASA 1000 is likely to include: a 500 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system between Tajikistan and Pakistan through Afghanistan; an AC transmission link from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to connect to the HVDC line from Tajikistan to South Asia; and the necessary electricity sub-stations in Kabul, Peshawar and Sangtuda (in Tajikistan).
