Latest news with #Amjad
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Kashmir conflict: Pakistan calls for peace with India
Amid rising tensions over Kashmir, Pakistan's envoy to South Africa has called for dialogue while condemning India's recent air and drone strikes. Pakistan Markazi Muslim League activists take part in a rally in Karachi this week marking the country's national day in commemoration of the Chagai-I and Chagai-II series of nuclear tests. Picture: Rizwan Tabassum / AFP 'We don't want war, we want peace with India, but we will always defend our sovereignty and our territorial integrity against any invasion,' says Pakistan's acting high commissioner to South Africa, Fahad Amjad. He was reacting to the recent war between India and Pakistan over Indian-administered Kashmir. Amjad was explaining Pakistan's position regarding what Islamabad called India's 'unprovoked and unjustified attacks' using coordinated missile, air and drone strikes on multiple locations inside Pakistan recently on 6 and 7 May. Areas affected by the attack included Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli and Muzaffarabad. The conflict began with alleged terrorist attacks on tourists on 22 April, killing 26 people. But Amjad said India blamed the attack on Pakistan. The disputed territory is the subject of various UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions. Long-standing dispute rooted in history and religion The core issue stems from a long-standing territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, dating back to the 1947 partition of India. Both countries claim the entire region, but control only parts of it, leading to conflict and ongoing tensions. The issue is further complicated by the region's Muslim-majority population and the unresolved question of self-determination, which has been a major point of contention between India and Pakistan. Since 2019, India has taken over the area as part of its union territory. But Amjad said India was not allowed to act unilaterally regarding the area and the final decision lay with the Kashmiri people through a plebiscite and via the UNSC. ALSO READ: Six killed in school bus bombing in SW Pakistan Water treaty dispute deepens mistrust The 1960 Water Treaty between the two countries, which was brokered by the World Bank, often also fuelled the conflict. India accused Pakistan of unilaterally suspending the treaty, which governs the use of water sources that flow between the two nations. 'We are dependent for our water needs on those rivers which come from India-controlled territories. 'We can't do it unilaterally because the treaty is guaranteed by the World Bank, and the treaty has a mechanism that, in case of a dispute, we can refer it to a third party, like arbitration, or the World Bank can decide about it. 'We will always follow the steps that we have in terms of the treaty,' Amjad said. Civilian casualties and retaliation raise alarm The situation was also exacerbated by the pro-government Indian media's narrative that 'we should crush Pakistan' and 'we should attack Pakistan', he said. On 6-7 May, India hit between seven and eight targets in Pakistan. Between 20 and 22 people died in the attacks on the areas that India described as terrorist areas. But according to Amjad, most of the victims were civilians, including children. Pakistan retaliated by shooting down some of the fighter jets that India used in the attacks. 'In our response we said we will not target any civilians but only the military installations.' The confrontation between the two countries continued for two to three days. It subsided when various international players engaged with the leaders of both countries. ALSO READ: India and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after days of attacks A ceasefire brokered by the US was achieved. 'As the policy of our government, we want to continue the ceasefire. But the Jammu-Kashmir issue remained unresolved.' Calls for South African mediation and global peace effort During a seminar with civil society organisations in Sandton on Wednesday night some suggested that South Africa, which championed the Palestinian cause in the ongoing Middle East war, should be involved in attempts to resolve the Pakistan-India Kashmir dispute. They claimed South Africa had to fulfil Nelson Mandela's wish that the conflict should be resolved peacefully. An international solution is needed, including taking the issue to the International Court of Justice. Zohra Kathrada, a niece of the late ANC stalwart Ahmed Kathrada, said as a family, they always stood with countries that were occupied. 'We stand in solidarity with any occupied country,' Kathrada said. Salman Khan said the Indian occupation of Jammu-Kashmir was as important as the occupation of Palestine by Israel. Fatima Domingo, of the SA Kashmir Action Group, said Pakistan response to India's attacks was not aggression, but self-defence. She condemned India for allegedly monopolising the water resources in the region. Speaking at the seminar, Amjad said Pakistan was ready for dialogue with India on all the issues, including Jammu-Kashmir. 'We want to live in peace' 'We also welcome any kind of mediation from a friendly country. We want to live in peace. We don't want war with any country. 'First, on this old issue, we will not attack. But if India attacks us, then we will have to respond. Second, we believe in the supremacy of international law, which we respect. We also expect that other countries should follow the policies, rules and regulations of international law,' Amjad said. He expressed concern that India would do it again. 'If something is done to Pakistan, we will respond to it. 'We also request that our international partners talk with India so that sense prevails and there are no confrontations. We want to resolve all issues with India through dialogue and in a peaceful manner.' ALSO READ: Pakistan tests missile weapons system amid India standoff
Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
From folktales to frontlines
Arts and music have always had a close relationship with resistance and revolution. One can see it in popular anthems which wake people up to resist authoritarian governments, societal injustices or merely understand their rights. For Sindhi lyricist and vocalist Amjad Mirani, music serves the same purpose. "Music is such an art form that if we don't use it for resistance and revolution, it's useless," he says. Abri to Karachi Born in a small village Abri, nearly 20 kilometres from Larkana, Amjad moved to Larkana in 2017 and then to Karachi in 2023. While the 21-year-old started making music in 2021, he spent his childhood listening to Sindhi folk tales and traditional music. These stories became deeply embedded into his core. "I was surrounded by the stories of Sassui, Marvi and everyone, all the folk tales, in my village. Sindhi poetry inspired me a lot. And as I grew up, I started reading more and then eventually pursued it." Even though Amjad had been releasing songs for a few years with Kaashi Haider serving as his first music producer (they continue to work together till this day), he realised he should take music seriously once he moved to Karachi. And his collaborations with Sindhi rapper and music producer Babar Mangi were the perfect way of doing so. Together, the duo has released many songs together – from Enda Enda, Lapata, and Musafir to Busin ja Dhika, Hayati and Sada Marhon. "We work well together," says Amjad. "He has his own ideas and melodies. I have my own. So, when we sit together, interesting combinations come out." The two have several more tracks they intend to release in the future. Amjad shares that his goal is to spread Sindhi music, arts and folklore globally and even collaborate with artists of other cultures, especially in South Asia. But right now, he is happy that Sindhi arts and music are slowly getting a bit of recognition in the Pakistani mainstream. He himself has performed in Lahooti Melo and Nescafe Basement, and his music has won hearts among the Indian audience online as well. "The interest is there and people appreciate it. If people keep demanding it, it will spread even further and people will know what our music is." Reality and Resistance For Amjad, music is a "powerful tool for political activism." Through music, he believes he can talk about people's issues and resistance, create awareness, and express himself. "As a Sindhi musician, it's our duty to use our music to talk about what we want as a people, as well as what the river needs and how the river feels. We have to talk about the pain of the Indus River. It is important to me that I use my voice for these purposes." Be it through sombre or mellow melodies or in a fun, quirky satirical way, Amjad's music and poetry definitely presents the ground realities of Sindh. "Satire works well because people enjoy the humorous touch and find it relatable." Most often, when artists born with a silver spoon talk about such ideas, it seems disingenuous since it becomes obvious they have no connection to the issues. The audience understands, whether we admit or not, that it's being done for clout. But with artists such as Amjad, one can tell they have lived through the experiences they talk about in their art. His music becomes a diary of the times he's lived in. But while Amjad is a proponent of celebrating Sindhi culture and values, he also sees a need for balance. Inevitably, a diary of an era cannot be full of blind optimism and collective delusion of grandeur but rather chapters of present realities combined with hope and positivity. "In our songs, we sing about how we are a peaceful people, Sindh is the land of peace and there is only love, no hate among us; be it Hindu, Muslim or anyone, we all live together here," he says. "But when we look at Sindh closely, we see cases of forced conversions and religious extremism. We should also show that in our arts. Why do we only need to celebrate ourselves and say we are peaceful and there's religious harmony in Sindh?" Amjad cites an example of his work. On one hand, he wrote a song called Sada Marhon where he spoke about how Sindh is peaceful and Sindhis celebrate both Eid and Holi together. On the other hand, he wrote Pachaar, where he spoke about the ground realities of Sindh – forced conversions, censorship, wadera system, and the violence conducted due to the caste system. "In Pachaar, I spoke about how Sindh is being strangled with these issues. So I feel we need to celebrate the values but also not ignore the reality of our society." While Amjad can write and sing, he primarily considers himself a writer and enjoys losing himself in the world of poetry. He says he enjoys when he can express himself sincerely. Of course, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai remains a big influence on him. He sings praises of the Sindhi icon who "spoke about women's freedom and rights before the word 'feminism' even existed." In fact, Amjad's latest offering is called Soormi, and is inspired by the lives of three of the seven queens of Sindh: Sassui, Suhni and Marvi. Amjad says the song is for the women who resist, walk against the world for their rights and love their land." When asked what music is to him, Amjad says, "To me, music is life. It is a way of expressing myself, all my emotions, and the stories of my land, my people, my language and my river." And based on the extensive body of work he has built over the last few years, anyone can testify what he says rings true.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How a grassroots movement in Pakistan pulled off one of the fastest solar revolutions in the world
Glimmering, deep-blue solar panels carpet rooftops in Pakistan's largest cities and dot the perimeters of houses in villages across the country. Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, is experiencing one of the most rapid solar revolutions on the planet, even as it grapples with poverty and economic instability. The country has become a huge new market for solar as super-cheap Chinese solar panels flood in. It imported 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024, more than double the previous year, making it the world's third-biggest importer, according to data from the climate think tank Ember. Pakistan's story is unique, said Mustafa Amjad, program director at Renewables First, an energy think tank based in Islamabad. Solar has been adopted at mass scale in countries including Vietnam and South Africa, 'but none have had the speed and scale that Pakistan has had,' he told CNN. There's one particular aspect fascinating experts: The solar boom is a grassroots revolution and almost none of it is in the form of big solar farms. 'There is no policy push that is driving this; this is essentially people-led and market driven,' Amjad said. Pakistan's solar story is not a straightforward good news story; it's complex and messy with potential trouble ahead as the energy landscape changes radically and rapidly. But many analysts say what's happening here undermines an increasingly popular narrative that clean energy is unaffordable, unwanted and can only succeed with large-scale government subsidies. 'Contrary to the notion that renewables only thrive on subsidies or are 'forced' onto the Global South, Pakistanis are actively choosing solar because it makes financial sense,' said Harjeet Singh, climate advocate and founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. As the country grapples with severe and deadly heat waves — temperatures nudged toward 122 degrees Fahrenheit in April — there is also hope access to solar can help people afford the cooling systems on which they increasingly rely to survive. Pakistan's solar boom is due to a 'perfect storm' of factors, said Waqas Moosa, chair of the Pakistan Solar Association and the CEO of Hadron Solar. Chief among those are the tumbling cost of solar panels from China coupled with sky-high electricity prices. Pakistan's electricity woes can be traced back to the 1990s when it entered into expensive power agreements, many tied to the US dollar, where producers were paid regardless of whether they produced electricity, said Asha Amirali, a research associate at the Centre for Development Studies at the University of Bath. The sharp depreciation of the Pakistani rupee combined with falling electricity demand — in part due to the rise in solar — have pushed electricity prices upward. Russia's war in Ukraine added an extra layer of pressure as gas prices increased. Electricity costs have shot up 155% over the last three years, Amjad, from Renewables First, said. In addition, grid electricity is unreliable with multi-hour blackouts common in parts of the country. Businesses and households able to afford it have turned to cheap solar. While precise data on the amount of solar installed is sparse, analysts estimate around 15 gigawatts was installed last year compared to peak electricity demand in the country of about 30 gigawatts, said Dave Jones, Ember's global insights program director. The scale is 'just mind boggling,' he told CNN. A Google Earth search of big cities such as Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore reveals the sheer amount of solar, said Jenny Chase, a solar analyst with BloombergNEF. 'There are more solar panels than you'll see almost anywhere else in the world in terms of roof coverage,' she told CNN. An official from Pakistan's Power Division told CNN the government 'has to be given full credit' for this boom, citing programs including zero tax on solar panels and a net metering system, which allows people to send excess solar energy to the grid and currently accounts for about 4 gigawatts . But many analysts disagree, pointing to the absence of largescale government solar spending. The solar boom 'has been very bottom up,' Amjad said. 'It was essentially the people forcing markets to import more solar panels.' It's changing the way Pakistanis think about electricity. Moosa, from the Pakistan Solar Association, compares it to the rise of social media. In the same way sites like TikTok and Instagram have allowed people to bypass traditional media and become publishers, the solar revolution is allowing Pakistanis to become electricity producers as well as consumers. Once you combine solar and batteries, 'suddenly all the power goes in the hands of consumers,' Moosa said. This revolution is not all upside. 'Our grid is going to suffer,' Moosa said. There are concerns it will enter a 'death spiral,' where expensive electricity pushes people away from the grid and toward solar, reducing the revenue utilities get, leaving those still on the grid facing higher prices, which in turn pushes more people to solar. The Pakistan Power Division official said the government may take 'appropriate but necessary measures' to ensure the stability of the grid but did not specify what these might be. The solar boom is also driving a further wedge between Pakistan's rich and poor, Amirali said. Solar is only available to those with deep enough pockets and 'everybody else is still stuck on the extremely expensive, often extremely unreliable, dirty fossil fuel-based grid,' the researcher said. 'I think Pakistan can only teach you what not to do right now.' Others take a more positive view. While there are people being left behind, solar is not limited to the rich, Amjad said. People are using simple solar systems in areas that maybe get only a handful of hours of grid electricity a day, he said. Think the village tire shop bringing out a single solar panel every morning, or the families that group to convert their diesel-powered irrigation wells to solar. 'This is what cheap solar means,' BloombergNEF's Chase told CNN. 'It means people who have never had power before, having power.' Pakistan's solar boom may be imperfect but some analysts say it holds broader lessons, especially for countries where grid electricity is expensive, unreliable or both. There are two crucial takeaways, said climate advocate Singh. Falling costs mean renewables are often 'the most rational economic path away from fossil fuels' but Pakistan also underscores the 'absolute necessity of proactive planning and timely investment' to ensure the grid can cope, he said. Chase believes many countries may experience similar solar booms but warned the solar market is unpredictable. South Africa, for example, saw a rapid uptake of solar in 2023 when electricity supply was increasingly erratic and blackouts common. It looked like the start of a solar boom to some analysts, but take-up dropped when the government invested money in making the grid more robust. For now, Pakistan has become 'a poster child for energy transition in the developing South,' Amjad said. People are watching and the stakes are high. If the goes revolution wrong, it will affect the way solar is seen globally, he added. The country must ensure its solar story 'becomes a fairy tale and not one that is talked about as an example of things not to do.'
CNN
01-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
How a grassroots movement in Pakistan pulled off one of the fastest solar revolutions in the world
The Middle East Asia Green energy SustainabilityFacebookTweetLink Follow Glimmering, deep-blue solar panels carpet rooftops in Pakistan's largest cities and dot the perimeters of houses in villages across the country. Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, is experiencing one of the most rapid solar revolutions on the planet, even as it grapples with poverty and economic instability. The country has become a huge new market for solar as super-cheap Chinese solar panels flood in. It imported 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024, more than double the previous year, making it the world's third-biggest importer, according to data from the climate think tank Ember. Pakistan's story is unique, said Mustafa Amjad, program director at Renewables First, an energy think tank based in Islamabad. Solar has been adopted at mass scale in countries including Vietnam and South Africa, 'but none have had the speed and scale that Pakistan has had,' he told CNN. There's one particular aspect fascinating experts: The solar boom is a grassroots revolution and almost none of it is in the form of big solar farms. 'There is no policy push that is driving this; this is essentially people-led and market driven,' Amjad said. Pakistan's solar story is not a straightforward good news story; it's complex and messy with potential trouble ahead as the energy landscape changes radically and rapidly. But many analysts say what's happening here undermines an increasingly popular narrative that clean energy is unaffordable, unwanted and can only succeed with large-scale government subsidies. 'Contrary to the notion that renewables only thrive on subsidies or are 'forced' onto the Global South, Pakistanis are actively choosing solar because it makes financial sense,' said Harjeet Singh, climate advocate and founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. As the country grapples with severe and deadly heat waves — temperatures nudged toward 122 degrees Fahrenheit in April — there is also hope access to solar can help people afford the cooling systems on which they increasingly rely to survive. Pakistan's solar boom is due to a 'perfect storm' of factors, said Waqas Moosa, chair of the Pakistan Solar Association and the CEO of Hadron Solar. Chief among those are the tumbling cost of solar panels from China coupled with sky-high electricity prices. Pakistan's electricity woes can be traced back to the 1990s when it entered into expensive power agreements, many tied to the US dollar, where producers were paid regardless of whether they produced electricity, said Asha Amirali, a research associate at the Centre for Development Studies at the University of Bath. The sharp depreciation of the Pakistani rupee combined with falling electricity demand — in part due to the rise in solar — have pushed electricity prices upward. Russia's war in Ukraine added an extra layer of pressure as gas prices increased. Electricity costs have shot up 155% over the last three years, Amjad, from Renewables First, said. In addition, grid electricity is unreliable with multi-hour blackouts common in parts of the country. Businesses and households able to afford it have turned to cheap solar. While precise data on the amount of solar installed is sparse, analysts estimate around 15 gigawatts was installed last year compared to peak electricity demand in the country of about 30 gigawatts, said Dave Jones, Ember's global insights program director. The scale is 'just mind boggling,' he told CNN. A Google Earth search of big cities such as Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore reveals the sheer amount of solar, said Jenny Chase, a solar analyst with BloombergNEF. 'There are more solar panels than you'll see almost anywhere else in the world in terms of roof coverage,' she told CNN. An official from Pakistan's Power Division told CNN the government 'has to be given full credit' for this boom, citing programs including zero tax on solar panels and a net metering system, which allows people to send excess solar energy to the grid and currently accounts for about 4 gigawatts . But many analysts disagree, pointing to the absence of largescale government solar spending. The solar boom 'has been very bottom up,' Amjad said. 'It was essentially the people forcing markets to import more solar panels.' It's changing the way Pakistanis think about electricity. Moosa, from the Pakistan Solar Association, compares it to the rise of social media. In the same way sites like TikTok and Instagram have allowed people to bypass traditional media and become publishers, the solar revolution is allowing Pakistanis to become electricity producers as well as consumers. Once you combine solar and batteries, 'suddenly all the power goes in the hands of consumers,' Moosa said. This revolution is not all upside. 'Our grid is going to suffer,' Moosa said. There are concerns it will enter a 'death spiral,' where expensive electricity pushes people away from the grid and toward solar, reducing the revenue utilities get, leaving those still on the grid facing higher prices, which in turn pushes more people to solar. The Pakistan Power Division official said the government may take 'appropriate but necessary measures' to ensure the stability of the grid but did not specify what these might be. The solar boom is also driving a further wedge between Pakistan's rich and poor, Amirali said. Solar is only available to those with deep enough pockets and 'everybody else is still stuck on the extremely expensive, often extremely unreliable, dirty fossil fuel-based grid,' the researcher said. 'I think Pakistan can only teach you what not to do right now.' Others take a more positive view. While there are people being left behind, solar is not limited to the rich, Amjad said. People are using simple solar systems in areas that maybe get only a handful of hours of grid electricity a day, he said. Think the village tire shop bringing out a single solar panel every morning, or the families that group to convert their diesel-powered irrigation wells to solar. 'This is what cheap solar means,' BloombergNEF's Chase told CNN. 'It means people who have never had power before, having power.' Pakistan's solar boom may be imperfect but some analysts say it holds broader lessons, especially for countries where grid electricity is expensive, unreliable or both. There are two crucial takeaways, said climate advocate Singh. Falling costs mean renewables are often 'the most rational economic path away from fossil fuels' but Pakistan also underscores the 'absolute necessity of proactive planning and timely investment' to ensure the grid can cope, he said. Chase believes many countries may experience similar solar booms but warned the solar market is unpredictable. South Africa, for example, saw a rapid uptake of solar in 2023 when electricity supply was increasingly erratic and blackouts common. It looked like the start of a solar boom to some analysts, but take-up dropped when the government invested money in making the grid more robust. For now, Pakistan has become 'a poster child for energy transition in the developing South,' Amjad said. People are watching and the stakes are high. If the goes revolution wrong, it will affect the way solar is seen globally, he added. The country must ensure its solar story 'becomes a fairy tale and not one that is talked about as an example of things not to do.'
CNN
01-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
How a grassroots movement in Pakistan pulled off one of the fastest solar revolutions in the world
The Middle East Asia Green energy SustainabilityFacebookTweetLink Follow Glimmering, deep-blue solar panels carpet rooftops in Pakistan's largest cities and dot the perimeters of houses in villages across the country. Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, is experiencing one of the most rapid solar revolutions on the planet, even as it grapples with poverty and economic instability. The country has become a huge new market for solar as super-cheap Chinese solar panels flood in. It imported 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024, more than double the previous year, making it the world's third-biggest importer, according to data from the climate think tank Ember. Pakistan's story is unique, said Mustafa Amjad, program director at Renewables First, an energy think tank based in Islamabad. Solar has been adopted at mass scale in countries including Vietnam and South Africa, 'but none have had the speed and scale that Pakistan has had,' he told CNN. There's one particular aspect fascinating experts: The solar boom is a grassroots revolution and almost none of it is in the form of big solar farms. 'There is no policy push that is driving this; this is essentially people-led and market driven,' Amjad said. Pakistan's solar story is not a straightforward good news story; it's complex and messy with potential trouble ahead as the energy landscape changes radically and rapidly. But many analysts say what's happening here undermines an increasingly popular narrative that clean energy is unaffordable, unwanted and can only succeed with large-scale government subsidies. 'Contrary to the notion that renewables only thrive on subsidies or are 'forced' onto the Global South, Pakistanis are actively choosing solar because it makes financial sense,' said Harjeet Singh, climate advocate and founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. As the country grapples with severe and deadly heat waves — temperatures nudged toward 122 degrees Fahrenheit in April — there is also hope access to solar can help people afford the cooling systems on which they increasingly rely to survive. Pakistan's solar boom is due to a 'perfect storm' of factors, said Waqas Moosa, chair of the Pakistan Solar Association and the CEO of Hadron Solar. Chief among those are the tumbling cost of solar panels from China coupled with sky-high electricity prices. Pakistan's electricity woes can be traced back to the 1990s when it entered into expensive power agreements, many tied to the US dollar, where producers were paid regardless of whether they produced electricity, said Asha Amirali, a research associate at the Centre for Development Studies at the University of Bath. The sharp depreciation of the Pakistani rupee combined with falling electricity demand — in part due to the rise in solar — have pushed electricity prices upward. Russia's war in Ukraine added an extra layer of pressure as gas prices increased. Electricity costs have shot up 155% over the last three years, Amjad, from Renewables First, said. In addition, grid electricity is unreliable with multi-hour blackouts common in parts of the country. Businesses and households able to afford it have turned to cheap solar. While precise data on the amount of solar installed is sparse, analysts estimate around 15 gigawatts was installed last year compared to peak electricity demand in the country of about 30 gigawatts, said Dave Jones, Ember's global insights program director. The scale is 'just mind boggling,' he told CNN. A Google Earth search of big cities such as Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore reveals the sheer amount of solar, said Jenny Chase, a solar analyst with BloombergNEF. 'There are more solar panels than you'll see almost anywhere else in the world in terms of roof coverage,' she told CNN. An official from Pakistan's Power Division told CNN the government 'has to be given full credit' for this boom, citing programs including zero tax on solar panels and a net metering system, which allows people to send excess solar energy to the grid and currently accounts for about 4 gigawatts . But many analysts disagree, pointing to the absence of largescale government solar spending. The solar boom 'has been very bottom up,' Amjad said. 'It was essentially the people forcing markets to import more solar panels.' It's changing the way Pakistanis think about electricity. Moosa, from the Pakistan Solar Association, compares it to the rise of social media. In the same way sites like TikTok and Instagram have allowed people to bypass traditional media and become publishers, the solar revolution is allowing Pakistanis to become electricity producers as well as consumers. Once you combine solar and batteries, 'suddenly all the power goes in the hands of consumers,' Moosa said. This revolution is not all upside. 'Our grid is going to suffer,' Moosa said. There are concerns it will enter a 'death spiral,' where expensive electricity pushes people away from the grid and toward solar, reducing the revenue utilities get, leaving those still on the grid facing higher prices, which in turn pushes more people to solar. The Pakistan Power Division official said the government may take 'appropriate but necessary measures' to ensure the stability of the grid but did not specify what these might be. The solar boom is also driving a further wedge between Pakistan's rich and poor, Amirali said. Solar is only available to those with deep enough pockets and 'everybody else is still stuck on the extremely expensive, often extremely unreliable, dirty fossil fuel-based grid,' the researcher said. 'I think Pakistan can only teach you what not to do right now.' Others take a more positive view. While there are people being left behind, solar is not limited to the rich, Amjad said. People are using simple solar systems in areas that maybe get only a handful of hours of grid electricity a day, he said. Think the village tire shop bringing out a single solar panel every morning, or the families that group to convert their diesel-powered irrigation wells to solar. 'This is what cheap solar means,' BloombergNEF's Chase told CNN. 'It means people who have never had power before, having power.' Pakistan's solar boom may be imperfect but some analysts say it holds broader lessons, especially for countries where grid electricity is expensive, unreliable or both. There are two crucial takeaways, said climate advocate Singh. Falling costs mean renewables are often 'the most rational economic path away from fossil fuels' but Pakistan also underscores the 'absolute necessity of proactive planning and timely investment' to ensure the grid can cope, he said. Chase believes many countries may experience similar solar booms but warned the solar market is unpredictable. South Africa, for example, saw a rapid uptake of solar in 2023 when electricity supply was increasingly erratic and blackouts common. It looked like the start of a solar boom to some analysts, but take-up dropped when the government invested money in making the grid more robust. For now, Pakistan has become 'a poster child for energy transition in the developing South,' Amjad said. People are watching and the stakes are high. If the goes revolution wrong, it will affect the way solar is seen globally, he added. The country must ensure its solar story 'becomes a fairy tale and not one that is talked about as an example of things not to do.'
