Powering Pakistan: Meeting Pakistan's Energy Needs in the 21st Century

Citation

Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, S. (2010), "Powering Pakistan: Meeting Pakistan's Energy Needs in the 21st Century", International Journal of Law and Management, Vol. 52 No. 3, pp. 246-248. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542431011044698

This book is the product of a conference report on Pakistan's energy needs over the next 20‐30 years titled Fuelling the Future. The report was published under the auspices of the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, Washington DC in 2007. Robert Hathaway and Michael Kugelman's edited volume presents multi‐disciplinary selection of papers on pointing out the energy problems, meeting Pakistan's energy needs and prospective energy requirements.

Hathaway's introductory chapter notes that energy crisis has disrupted industrial production and household routine which has prompted large demonstrations, the destruction of public property and other warnings of political instability. It has come to this that energy has become a major political issue in the country. Pakistan's proven coal reserves are the world's sixth largest but yet not utilised to reduce energy crisis. Construction plans to build large dams capable of generating electricity have been the victim of political intrigues. Islamabad has urged the western countries including the USA to help it develop civilian nuclear technology to meet its growing energy needs, an idea certain to counter‐resistance in the West (p. xi). Combining the spatial concepts of requirements, struggle and segregation by Pakistan's Western front‐line allies, Hathaway gives recommendations based on all the essays in the book. He urges for a comprehensive energy planning, institutional coherence and coordination between the public and private sector, privatisation and encouragement of biomass energy. He also recommends diversification of energy resources rather than disproportionate reliance on natural gas and largely imported oil. He urges on expanding the sources and supplies of renewable energy. In this regard he recommends a comprehensive energy strategy for the creation of technology institutes and research centres. Such ventures would promote new and more energy‐efficient technologies in the long run.

The edited volume analyses 13 different cases of Pakistan's energy problems drawing from different sectors and regions. Mukhtar Ahmed in his essay recommends development of the rich coal deposits of the Thar Desert as well as nuclear energy (p. 13). His essay is meticulously worked out and is decorated with graphs and tables cited from the Pakistan Energy Yearbook and Planning Commission of Pakistan. Shahid Javed Brki, an eminent World Bank official gives a historical background of the Pakistan's energy needs and poor planning in the energy sector. He praises the government of Ayub Khan for taking significant positive steps in institutional development by creating WAPDA (p. 31). He discusses a list of very cheap and accessible sources of energy. For example, the use of cellulose instead of sugar from sugarcane for producing fuel. The cellulose are grasses that are commonly available in the areas such as the katcha lands on the banks of the rivers (p. 36). Robert Looney contributes on Energy and Pakistan economy. However, in his chapter he talks too general about the world models of micro‐energy. At the end of his chapter, he gives implications and assessment for Pakistan without specifying the earlier models discussed so much in detail.

Chapter 5 deals with the power sector reforms in Pakistan. The authors of this essay – Vladislav Vucetic and Achilles Adamantiades indeed have done justice with their contribution. The essay is much focused on Pakistan's energy problem along with every minor detail that may help in understanding the issue. From Pakistan's power generation (p. 69), transmission system (p. 71) to distribution, every aspect of the power sector has been covered in this chapter along with figures and tables. The essay provides a detailed narration of the WAPDA, and its sub‐associated bodies such as KESC, NEPRA, LESCO and PEPCO. The authors also propose institutional reforms in the power sector (pp. 77‐80) and the ways and means to implement them (pp. 81‐6). The chapter is well cited with comparatively detailed end notes.

The editors of the book failed to edit the parts two and three properly. Both parts lack scholastic details and reference/source citations. On page 133, author Saleem Ali of chapter 8 claims that Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) was shut down for refurbishment in 2002 and opened five years later in 2007. However, he has not given any citation of this fact. Similarly, on the same page, Mr Ali also says Baghhalchur village provided nuclear cake to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission for the country's nuclear programme. He gave such important information to the reader, but surprisingly without any reference, which is a scholastic weakness.

Weak academic practices are also undermining the credibility of the book. Inconsistency of energy units, for example, can be seen throughout the book. Table 1.3 on page 14 is noteworthy in that it confuses the reader by talking of various forms of energy resources in three different units. A reader cannot deduce anything from it unless he/she consults unit conversions and uses calculator. By doing so the table not only confuses the reader but also defeats its purpose in first place. Last paragraph on page 8 talks of reserve to production ratio for various fossil fuels but does not mention if it is in weeks, months, years or centuries! A very strange analysis is observed in chapter 2 on page 22 where for like with like figures Pakistan's data in 2005‐2006 have been compared with that of other countries' in 1970s and 1980s. Another weakness of the book is its outdated information – the book has been published in 2009 while most of the statistics it provides are up to year 2004‐2005.

The problem of poor referencing is also quite noticeable. Quite often crucial statements have been furnished by various contributors without any reference. The opening sentence in chapter 3 on page 39, for example, provides very important data but to no citation. In chapter 2 on page 21, Lahore has been described as one of the most polluted cities of Asia. This is quite a significant statement but comes without any reference. However, the book is appreciated as it is the first publication on an important issue such as energy – the life line of Pakistan and Pakistanis.