During the current year, 1,100 schools and 3,050 mosques in Khyber district will be shifted to solar energy. Additionally, business centers in the region will be connected to solar mini-grids.

Notably, 900 mosques and places of worship in the merged tribal districts have been switched to solar power, generating 1.73 MW of electricity daily and resulting in significant monthly cost savings.

These initiatives aim to improve access to reliable and renewable electricity in the merged tribal districts, which have historically faced power supply challenges.

A National Assembly member elected from the Khyber tribal district, Haji Iqbal Afridi, stated that all promises made to the people of the tribal merged areas will be fulfilled.

He expressed these views while participating in a meeting to discuss the progress of the ongoing solar electrification projects in the Khyber district, which are being supervised by PEDO, a subsidiary of the Energy & Power Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

An important meeting was held under the Energy & Power Department Secretary Nisar Ahmad Khan. The meeting was attended by the nominated focal persons representing all the elected members of the national and provincial assemblies from the Khyber district.

PEDO Chief Executive Engineer Riaz Ahmed Jan, the Energy Department Chief Planning Officer Dr. Mohammad Kashif Khan, the Solar Energy Project Project Director Engineer Asfand Yar Khan, and NRTC representative Aamir Afridi, were also present.

During the briefing, Khan informed the participants that three major solar energy projects are currently underway in the Khyber district. These include the construction of a mini-grid in the Bara Bazaar, the installation of solar systems in 1,100 schools, and the electrification of 3,500 mosques.

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He added that the transmission line work is in the final stages, and all three solar energy projects in the Khyber district are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The meeting also involved a detailed discussion on the installation of solar systems and other related issues, including the identification of mosques and schools to be included in the projects.