ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union (EU) officials held their 9th Counter-Terrorism Dialogue in Brussels and discussed regional and global challenges, including the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign office said on Thursday.
The dialogue is part of the broader 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan between the EU and Pakistan, which seeks to enhance mutual engagement on security matters and regional cooperation. It reflects a shared determination to address the evolving challenges posed by militancy.
The development comes amid a turmoil in the Middle East resulting from Israeli military actions against several regional countries, including the war on Gaza, as well as fears among some nations, including Pakistan, about the resurgence of militant groups in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on Israel and world powers for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and Syria. Islamabad has also accused Afghanistan of supporting militant groups amid a recent surge in militancy in Pakistan’s western regions, an allegation denied by Kabul.
“The European Union and Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and confirmed their steadfast commitment to fight it. The Dialogue allowed for an exchange on regional and global challenges, including the security implications of the situation in Afghanistan and in other areas, like the Middle East,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
“Both parties confirmed the importance of a strong cooperation with international partners in multilateral fora. This includes the work in the United Nations’ framework and in the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, which the EU has been co-chairing since 2022.”
Abdul Hameed, director-general for counter-terrorism at the Pakistani foreign ministry, led the Pakistan side, while the EU delegation was headed by Maciej Stadejek, director for security and defense policy at the European External Action Service.
“The European Union and Pakistan also discussed areas for exchange of best practices and for concrete cooperation, with a focus on common actions on prevention and countering of violent extremism, recruitment and movement of foreign fighters, offline and online radicalization, combating terrorism financing and more topics that are relevant to address the growing challenges posed by terrorism,” the foreign office added.
Pakistan, EU officials discuss Middle East, Afghanistan situation among global security challenges
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Pakistan, EU officials discuss Middle East, Afghanistan situation among global security challenges
- The talks were part of 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan between the EU and Pakistan, which seeks to enhance mutual engagement on security matters
- Both sides exchanged views on countering of ‘violent extremism, recruitment and movement of foreign fighters, offline and online radicalization’
Pakistan’s domestic power sources cushion LNG supply risk from Middle East war — minister
- Pakistan less exposed to LNG disruptions as domestic power rises, Power Minister Leghari says
- 74% of power now from local sources, targeting 96%, LNG accounts for 10% of power generation
KARACHI: Pakistan’s growing reliance on domestic power, including solar and wind energy, nuclear reactors, coal and hydropower, has reduced its vulnerability to global LNG supply disruptions, Power Minister Awais Leghari told Reuters.
The war in the Middle East threatens shipments from Qatar, the world’s No. 2 producer after the US which supplies most of Pakistan’s imported LNG, used to fuel power plants during peak electricity demand.
“Pakistan has been steadily increasing reliance on indigenous energy resources, and about 74% of our electricity generation now comes from local sources,” Leghari said, adding the government aims to raise that above 96% by 2034.
The figures have not been previously reported.
“The people-led solar revolution, and earlier decisions to invest in nuclear, hydropower and local coal have all played a role in increasing Pakistan’s self-reliance,” he added.
Pakistan has long struggled with electricity shortages and historically faced hours of daily load shedding during peak summer demand.
The country now has surplus generation capacity after adding coal, LNG and nuclear plants, while demand growth has slowed and the use of rooftop solar has surged, at times exceeding grid demand in some hubs.
Outages still occur in parts of the country due to theft, line losses and financial constraints, rather than a lack of power.
‘WORST-CASE SCENARIO’
Qatar halted LNG production earlier this month, and Asian nations, who buy 80% of its output, are scrambling to meet the shortage.
LNG now accounts for about 10% of Pakistan’s electricity generation, mainly used to meet evening demand peaks and stabilize the grid, Leghari said.%
During the global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country was forced to cut power for extended periods after failing to secure LNG cargoes on the spot market.
“Even if LNG was disrupted or became too expensive, the impact on production capacity, industry or agriculture would be minimal,” Leghari said.
But he said prolonged disruptions could still lead to additional shortages during summer, when demand surges from the use of air-conditioners.
“In a worst-case scenario, if LNG cargoes stopped for several months, Pakistan might see one to two hours of load shedding during peak summer evenings,” Leghari said.
Such outages would likely affect some urban and rural areas, not industry or agriculture, he said, adding Pakistan is developing battery storage to shift excess daytime solar to evening peaks.
Pakistan canceled 21 LNG cargoes due in 2026-27 under a long-term deal with Italy’s Eni as domestic power and solar growth cut gas demand.
LOCAL AND GREEN
Pakistan is not expected to invest in any source of power that could put it at risk in terms of energy security,” Leghari said, saying the government’s plans for the next six to eight years is to focus on indigenous clean power.
About 55% of electricity generation now comes from clean sources, which the government aims to raise above 90% by 2034, Leghari said.
Hydropower produces about 40 terawatt hours of electricity annually, while nuclear generates roughly 22 TWh and domestic coal about 12 TWh, according to the minister, forming a significant share of Pakistan’s electricity supply without relying on imported fuel.
Rooftop solar installations have surged to more than 20 GW across Pakistan, with behind-the-meter capacity estimated at 12–14 GW and possibly up to 18 GW, sharply reducing daytime grid demand, he said.
Hydropower output also rises in summer as river flows increase, adding up to 7,000 megawatts of capacity and helping meet higher electricity demand from air-conditioning.
