In response to growing public pressure, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a 13-member high-level committee to find lasting solutions to Gwadar’s chronic electricity outages and severe water shortages. The committee’s first meeting is expected to be held on Friday.
The committee has been directed to urgently propose a plan to ensure uninterrupted water supply to Gwadar through two key sources: the 7.5 million gallons per day (MGD) water supply scheme and the 1.2 MGD seawater desalination plant. The proposal must be practical within four to five days and focus on delivering immediate relief to the population.
In addition, the committee must submit a medium-term plan within four to five months to guarantee sustainable water and electricity for the region. The directive also mandates assigning specific roles and deadlines to all relevant ministries and executing agencies to avoid further delays.
Committee members include Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, federal ministers for Maritime Affairs and Energy, secretaries from Planning, Power, and Maritime Divisions, the Chief Secretary of Balochistan, and heads of key institutions such as the Gwadar Port Authority, Gwadar Development Authority, and Quetta Electric Supply Company. Former Sky Electric CEO Ameen Sukhaira has also been included for technical insight.
Gwadar, a key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has long suffered from infrastructure neglect, despite its strategic importance. Frequent power cuts and lack of clean water have sparked protests and raised concerns about the city’s livability and its ability to support major development plans.