Pakistan PM Directs Fast-Track Execution of Diamer Basha and Other Strategic Hydropower Projects

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the expedited execution of strategic hydropower projects, focusing on the Diamer Basha Dam, during a high-level meeting. Relevant ministries are instructed to ensure uninterrupted funding through PSDP grants and other financing for the Diamer Basha, Mohmand Dam, and Dasu Hydropower Project.

The Diamer Basha project requires $10 billion, with $8 billion for the dam and $2 billion for transmission infrastructure, aiming to add 6.4 million acre-feet of storage and generate 18.1 billion units of electricity annually. Arrangements for $500 million per year over seven years were approved to bridge financing gaps.

The revised PC-I for Diamer Basha is to be processed by December 31, 2025, with illegal constructions in the reservoir area to be demolished by the same date. The meeting also addressed funding for the Mohmand Dam and the rehabilitation of the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project.