Pakistan imports much of its solar equipment instead of making it, and Punjab’s governor blames government policy. Speaking at the third International Solar Power Conclave and Solar Technology Excellence Awards 2026 on Friday, Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said solar systems are not manufactured in Pakistan because there is no government framework to support the industry. He argued that domestic production could create millions of jobs, provide cheaper clean energy and earn foreign exchange.
The governor said high electricity prices have made solar power increasingly important for ordinary Pakistanis. He described sunlight as “Allah’s gift” and said it should be used to lower electricity bills and protect the environment.
Faisal Ayub, Punjab’s energy minister, described the problem as one of cost rather than supply. He said the severe power cuts that began in 2009-10 had been resolved under the PML-N government in 2013-18, when Shehbaz Sharif, then Punjab’s chief minister, built new power plants. The country’s main challenge now, he said, is expensive electricity.
The event was organised by Energy Update together with the Pakistan Solar Association (PSA), the Renewable Energy Association of Pakistan (REAP) and the Pakistan Alternative Energy Association (PAEA). Naeem Qureshi, Energy Update’s managing editor, said the organisation was celebrating its 20th anniversary. He said it had held about 180 seminars, workshops, policy discussions and conferences since it was founded in 2006.
Energy storage was a major topic. Dr Naveed Arshad, director of the Energy Institute at LUMS, called battery storage “a new AI for the energy sector”. He predicted that by 2035 Pakistan’s energy transition would move beyond its current reliance on distributed generation into five areas: distributed storage, microgrids and vertical power plants, AI and data analytics, energy efficiency and conservation, and circularity.
Other speakers on the panel included Altaf Hussain, managing director of the National Grid Company; Zohaib-ul-Haq, technical head of Growatt Pakistan; and Mian Fahad, TBEA’s regional head for Central and South Asia. M. Zakir Ali, chief executive of Inverex Solar Energy, also spoke.
A second panel discussed investment opportunities in solar panels and batteries. It was moderated by Dr Jawaria Shakeel, director of sustainability at Assure International. The speakers included Hussain Diwan of Diwan International; Joseph Chu, director of commercial and industrial energy storage in Pakistan; Muhammad Farhan, chief executive of Power Highway; Hasnat Khan, PSA senior vice-president; and Maroof Ahmad Zubairi of AESL.
The governor ended the event by presenting awards to leading companies in the renewable-energy industry. However, his central point was that Pakistan has not yet developed a solar manufacturing industry and will need a clear policy framework before one can emerge.