Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the import of high quality coal from Afghanistan in rupees instead of dollars to save the country’s precious foreign exchange.

The premier granted the approval while chairing a meeting in Islamabad regarding improvement in the transportation of coal imported from Afghanistan, Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.

During the meeting, the prime minister was informed that the import bill of coal initially required for Sahiwal and Hub power plants from Afghanistan would save over 2.2 billion dollars annually in the import bill.

He directed the Ministry of Railways to take all necessary steps to ensure prompt delivery of coal imported from Afghanistan to power plants.

The decision will not only help generate cheap electricity but will also save the country’s precious foreign exchange.

The premier during the meeting directed the authorities concerned to devise an effective system for producing cheap electricity to provide relief to domestic consumers and industries.

PM Shehbaz directed to form a committee of all concerned officials headed by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif to expedite the import process of coal.