Ambassador of Tajikistan, Ismatullo Nasredin, called on Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar to discuss the CASA-1000 project and other important matters. The minister said that CASA-1000 will help Pakistan meet its energy needs adding that Pakistan attaches great priority to timely completion of the project.
Central Asia-South Asia power project, commonly known by the acronym CASA-1000, is a $1.16 billion project currently under construction that will allow for the export of surplus hydroelectricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan during the summer. During the winter season if Pakistan has surplus energy it will be exported to Tajikistan, where dams freeze over during the winter.
The project has been referred to the ECNEC with the condition that the sponsors will ensure timely finalization of agreement with the member countries for export of surplus power, if available, during non-supply period. The project will become financially viable if there are two way options. Pakistan has surplus energy in winter while Tajikistan has surplus in summer.