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Updated: Oct 21, 2015 12:31 IST

Representatives of India’s Adani Enterprises visited Pakistan last year to discuss the sale of up to 4,000 MW of electricity but the proposal has stalled against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the two countries.

Pakistan’s power minister Khawaja Asif, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told the Senate or upper house of Parliament on October 13 that representatives of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) visited the country in April 2014 to “discuss matters relating to export of power”.

In a written reply to a question, Asif said: “AEL submitted draft to Ministry of Water & Power proposing export of 500 – 800 MW power in 2-3 years as a starting, phase up to 3500 – 4000 MW capacity ultimately.

“No further progress is made in the regard.”

An unnamed senior official of Pakistan’s water and power ministry was quoted by Dawn newspaper as saying that the plan to import up to 4,000 MW of electricity from India to overcome an energy shortfall had stalled “amid rising extremist sentiments” following the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“How can we push for electricity import (from India) when those at the helm of affairs in India are taking an extremely anti-Pakistan posture,” the official said.

The official claimed the Indian government had adopted a “hawkish stance against Pakistan” and is refusing to come to the negotiating table and “encouraging extremist groups to attack Pakistani visitors, including singers, writers and sportsmen”.

Power minister Asif also told the Senate last week that Pakistani and Indian officials had initially discussed plans for importing 500 MW from India in April 2012.

India-Pakistan relations Pakistan nosedived after the cancellation of talks between the national security advisers in August over Islamabad’s insistence that the Kashmir issue should be part of the agenda. India has linked the resumption of talks to action by Pakistan against terrorists, including those responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.