Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated Pakistan’s first coal drying unit at Thar Coal Block-I on 5 October 2026. Syed Murad Ali Shah attended the inauguration ceremony at Thar Coal Block-I.
The Thar development exemplifies a public-private partnership model alongside the devolution of powers. Power generation capacity through public-private partnerships in Thar has increased from 600 megawatts to 2,000 megawatts.
Currently, Thar supplies approximately 14 percent of the electricity required by the national grid. Utilising local coal sources saves Pakistan an estimated $1.6 billion in foreign exchange.
Furthermore, 94 percent of the workforce for the Thar coal project originated from Sindh. Regarding future infrastructure, a proposal is currently under review to establish a Sindh Investment Zone in Karachi, patterned after the DIFC, through a public-private partnership.
Additionally, consideration is being given to a port project at Keti Bandar in Thatta, also structured as a public-private partnership. The PPP chairman urged relevant institutions to accelerate the project aimed at producing fertiliser from Thar coal.
