The Knowledge Forum (TKF) organised a multi-stakeholder dialogue titled “Energy Crisis and Clean Energy Initiatives in Sindh” in Karachi on December 16, 2025 bringing together women legislators, civil society representatives, energy experts and students to discuss Pakistan’s energy challenges and the transition towards clean energy solutions.
Participants stressed the need for mandatory inclusion of women in all legislative and decision-making forums related to energy, arguing that gender-inclusive policies were essential for addressing the ongoing energy crisis and ensuring sustainable development in Sindh.
Patron-in-Chief of the Sindh Assembly’s Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) and PPP MPA Ms Rehana Leghari said electricity had become a basic necessity of life, particularly for an agrarian province like Sindh. While acknowledging the increasing use of solar energy, she said reliable grid electricity was still necessary and called for identifying the root causes of the crisis rather than temporary solutions.
She also highlighted the broader role of the Women Parliamentary Caucus in promoting gender-sensitive legislation, noting that women were often excluded from decision-making spaces despite being deeply affected by social and economic policies.
Energy experts and civil society representatives discussed the potential of decentralised clean energy solutions, including community-level microgrids, to support underserved populations. They pointed out that although Pakistan had substantial electricity generation capacity, the country still relied heavily on imported fuels while solar adoption remained limited. At the same time, participants described the growing shift towards solar power as a positive development that could help reduce emissions and energy costs.
Speakers also highlighted Karachi’s affordability crisis, rising electricity bills and the social impacts of prolonged outages, particularly on women workers in informal sectors. Concerns were raised regarding weak monitoring of renewable energy projects and the need for stronger safety standards.
Concluding the dialogue, WPC member Ms Tanzeela Qambrani announced that the caucus would raise the demand for women’s representation in the Standing Committee on Energy as part of its upcoming agenda, signalling a move towards more inclusive energy governance in Sindh.
