Pakistan, Aug. 5 -- Energy policies in Pakistan,in the past,have not fully deliveredon their intended objectives. While multiple factors may have contributed to this, an important, and an often-overlooked factor, has been the lack of institutional capacity that was required for theireffectiveimplementation. As new energy sectors policies are currently in the offing, our policy makers must assess,upfront,the compatibility of existing institutions with new demands, and ensure that people and systemsare sufficiently capable of performing their new roles and resonsibilities.

Starting with the 1994 private power policy, Pakistan has seen a streak of energy policies in the past two decades, introduced at regular intervalsby successive governme...