If asked, even the most casual reader of the newspaper would be able to answer the following question: what are amongst the most pressing issues in Pakistan at present? Included in the list are likely to be the fissure between the civilian government and the establishment, the overwhelming presence of terror networks within the country, the rampant corruption, the failing economy and the disintegrating relationship with the United States. What the casual reader might miss is an issue that those outside of Pakistan may not be privy to: an almost paralyzing lack of electricity within the country. 

While power generation is pegged at around 8500 MW within the country, Pakistan's power demand has reached 12500 MW per annum. Over the past few months, power shortages and blackouts, some lasting several days, have brought Pakistani society and industry to a near standstill. Power shortages have been witnessed in Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, North West Frontier Province and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The power shortages have proven to be potent source of friction, leading to various rounds of political infighting between the federal government, provincial governments and opposition parties, all of whom are lobbying to blame the other first. They have also exposed the depths of corruption in institutional bodies, such as Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), across the various levels of government.  

Power shortages and the political inaction that has followed, coupled with public knowledge of institutional corruption, have also become a lightning rod for average citizens who have a litany of complaints against their governments, leading to protests that have at times turned violent. In particular, heading into the winter months with enormous power shortages has been a sore spot for many people, especially those living in difficult terrains such as in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwah and PoK. Load shedding has even reached major cities such as Karachi, Faisalabad and Lahore.

Still more problematic for the government and the people of Pakistan is the impact of these power shortages on industry and the economy. Estimates suggest that electricity shortage results in a loss of 3-4% of GDP annually. Businesses and industries that are dependent heavily on the supply of power have been forced to go bankrupt in many parts of Pakistan, including in Punjab which is considered by many as the industrial hub of the country as a significant number of manufacturing businesses are based there. 

Within Pakistan, there is an urgent need for enhanced electricity production capacity. Unfortunately, most power and gas projects within the country are mired in numerous problems, from inter-provincial tensions to institutional incapacity, from political grievances to lack of financing, from international conflicts to domestic insurgency. More importantly, there is little idea on how to generate power quickly, before the shortages end up paralyzing the country. All of these reasons have led to Pakistan focusing more keenly on hydropower as the best method to solve the power crisis. Pakistan's hydropower capacity is an estimated 40000 MW, of which only 16% has been realized, according to Electric Power Department Secretary, Rabiya Javeri Agha.

Pakistan's hydropower fortunes are tied very closely to India. The Indus River, originating in the Himalayas and flowing into Pakistan through India, is the most valuable of Pakistan's water resources. According to Strategic Foresight Group's report, 'The Indus Equation', the Indus covers 71% of Pakistan's territory and is the primary source of water for 77% of its people. The Indus Equation also contends that Pakistan's primary interest in Kashmir is to secure its major water resources as the headwaters of the Western Rivers are located here. J&K is often described as the "jugular vein" of Pakistan. 

Thus, any potential solution for Pakistan's power crisis that can be found in hydropower will have to necessarily come from the disputed territory of Kashmir. The Pakistan government has sourced financial aid in this regard from various parties, including the Chinese government, which has interests in the Bunji Dam and has recently proposed a USD 15 billion plan to exploit the full potential of the Indus River, the Korean government, which has pledged USD 400 million to construct a 147 MW Patrind Hydropower Project on the Kunhar River and the Asian Development Bank, which also has interests in the Patrind Hydropower Project. 

The Pakistan government has also vehemently opposed the Indian government's plans to set up its own hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir, going as far international arbitration for projects such as Baglihar, Kishenganga and Nimoo-Bazgo. Within Pakistan, the idea that India is using shared water resources to intimidate and bully Pakistan, as well as a weapon to make the country barren, is bandied about frequently in the media and amongst politicians. This serves to deflect from the larger and more immediate truth. Pakistan's power crisis is real, and will continue to deepen. Unfortunately for the people of Pakistan, there are few real solutions at hand that can deliver a result immediately. Even the proposed hydropower projects that have financial aid, few domestic opponents and arena's mired in legal conflicts will take years to be completed and start producing electricity. Most proposed projects within Pakistan that are stalled have been so as a result of inter-provincial tensions (such as the Kalabagh Dam) or lack of political will. Thus, Pakistan has limited options. Chief amongst these options, given the circumstances, is reaching out to regional powers, including India, to find an immediate solution to its power woes, in order to stave off larger crises that it can ill-afford at the moment.