In a big boost to the power-starved country that is used to prolonged outages.

Power-starved Pakistan on Friday received a major boost as a China-backed 340 MW nuclear power plant in its Punjab province was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The fifth nuclear plant C-4 plant is located at Chashma in Mianwali district of the Punjab province. The project has been completed with the support and cooperation of China.

No outages after November

Mr. Abbasi said that the nuclear plants were a source of cheap energy and Pakistan would work on setting up more such plants. He said the government was completing all energy projects on a fast-track basis to tackle the chronic energy shortages. He has already promised that there would be no power shortage after November.

Chashma already has three nuclear power plants known as C-1, C-2 and C-3, which are contributing to the national grid along with a similar plant in Karachi.

Pakistan is also building two more nuclear power plants in Karachi known as K-2 and K-3 aimed to give a major boost to civil nuclear energy after completion.

Pakistan has been grappling with power shortage and the unusually long hours of power outages has been haunting its people for about a decade.

Cooperation in many areas

Mr. Abbasi thanked China for extending cooperation in the nuclear field. Pakistan and China are actively cooperating in many other areas, including construction of roads, motorways, airports and upgradation of Pakistan Railways.

Many projects were initiated under the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).