ISLAMABAD, April 21: In a bid to support its sinking power sector, Pakistan has requested the US to use its influence by facilitating investment that could help utilise the country’s over 180 billion tons of coal deposits at Thar for power-generation.

The request was made by Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf while talking to US Ambassador to Pakistan, Ms Anne W Patterson.

An official announcement said the US would now help Pakistan in organising a joint international investment conference on coal-based projects in Islamabad in May-June this year.

The water minister told Ms Patterson that the US could play a vital role in mobilising private investment in the power sector.

He said Islamabad was interested to import 1,000 MW from Central Asian States and the US could help Pakistan through assistance in construction of transmission line project.

The water ministry’s officials said the US ambassador had offered her country’s support in Thar coal power development projects.

She also assured continued American support for technical assistance, capacity building and import of power from the Central Asian states.

Ms Patterson also said that the USAID would launch a three-year, $30 million activity to assist Pakistan in getting power from the Central Asian states.