Interview with Mr. Owais Mir, Founder and CEO, Dynamic Engineering & Automation (DEA) Group
Profile:
Mr Owais Mir is the founder and Chief Executive of Dynamic Engineering & Automation (DEA) Group of companies. DEA is a leading energy solution provider with Mr. Mir, as the country’s one of the most influential business leaders, has accompanied petroleum industry ministers and government officials of Pakistan during many conferences. He has been part of official Government Delegations with the perspective of road shows/business development and inter- government negotiations.
Professional eduaction/certification:
• Masters of Business Administration, Bahria University Karachi, Pakistan
• Honors in Computer Sciences
• Executive Management & Supply Chain Courses, LUMS, Pakistan
Flagships projects undertaken:
• SSGC LNG import terminal
• Interstate Gas Pipeline (ISGSL)
• TAPI Infrastructure Feasibility
• Gulf-South Asia Gas (GUSA) Infrastructure Feasibility
• Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline Infrastructure Feasibility
• UOP, UK/ SAF license Validation & Gas Infrastructure
• National health care initiation with Ministry of National Health Services, Board of Investment and Pakistan, Embassy in China by bringing Chinese health-tech giants to Pakistan
• LNG Import terminal
• Private LPG Import Terminals Optimization
• LPG Air Mix Applications
• Enabling the development of Special Economic Zone
• Initiated port efficiency and maritime affairs services in Pakistan and saved around USD 15-20 Million for the country through these value-added services and supplies like Buoys and Tugboats.
Maritime Sector Leadership:
Owais Mir is one of Pakistan’s foremost maritime reformers, leading impactful initiatives across Karachi Port, Port Qasim, and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC). His work tackles entrenched challenges such as institutional stagnation, aging fleets, and technological lag, blending forward-thinking policy with practical execution to unlock Pakistan’s trade and logistics potential.
PAGE: What is your perspective about major gas projects for the energy needs of Pakistan?
Owais Mir: Pakistan faces a critical gas supply deficit as domestic reserves deplete at 8–10% annually. The TAPI Pipeline holds transformative promise but remains stalled due to Afghan instability. The Iran-Pakistan Pipeline is constructed on Pakistan’s side yet frozen by US sanctions — a case of geopolitics overriding economic necessity. LNG imports have partially filled the gap but expose Pakistan to devastating global price volatility and drain foreign reserves. Pakistan’s gas strategy suffers a fundamental contradiction — LNG is too expensive, while cheaper regional pipelines remain politically paralyzed. A diversified (offshore & unconventional sources) as well as a diplomatically backed multi-source gas strategy is urgently needed for long-term energy security.
PAGE: What is your standpoint on chronic issues such as circular debt accumulation, rising fuel import costs, limited investment in transmission infrastructure, and slow regulatory reforms?
Owais Mir: Pakistan’s circular debt has crossed Rs. 2.5+ trillion, driven by subsidized tariffs, high transmission losses, rampant theft, and capacity payments to idle IPPs. Rising fuel import costs make electricity generation vulnerable to global commodity cycles and rupee depreciation, creating an inflationary feedback loop. Transmission infrastructure is aging and unable to evacuate power from renewable-rich regions, causing wasteful curtailment. NEPRA and OGRA remain slow, understaffed, and politically pressured, deterring private investment. These four issues form a vicious interconnected cycle — solving one requires solving all simultaneously. Without genuine structural reform rather than repeated bailout packages, the crisis will only deepen.
PAGE: How would you comment on renewable energy integration in Pakistan?
Owais Mir: Pakistan possesses enormous renewable potential — 50,000 MW wind, vast solar irradiation, and 60,000+ MW hydropower — yet integration remains deeply troubled. A very minimal wind and utility-scale solar are installed, and rooftop net metering has been a genuine success. However, the aging grid cannot handle variable renewable output, transmission lines don’t reach renewable-rich zones, and there is virtually no utility-scale energy storage. Renewable plants are frequently curtailed due to grid congestion, while Pakistan simultaneously pays capacity charges for idle thermal plants — an economically absurd situation. Without grid modernization, battery storage, and revised power contracts prioritizing renewable dispatch, integration will remain superficial and inefficient.
PAGE: How would you describe structural bottlenecks in the energy sector of Pakistan?
Owais Mir: Pakistan’s energy sector bottlenecks operate across five layers — governance, finance, planning, infrastructure, and policy continuity. Multiple overlapping ministries coordinate poorly, while politically driven tariff decisions bypass regulatory processes. DISCOs remain government-owned, loss-making, and unaccountable, with no successful privatization achieved. Massive over-procurement of thermal capacity left Pakistan paying billions in idle capacity payments due to poor demand forecasting. Transmission and gas distribution infrastructure are decades old, compounding technical losses. Most critically, every government introduces a new energy policy without implementing its predecessor’s, creating a policy continuity failure that destroys investor confidence. Technical solutions are well understood — what Pakistan lacks is the political will and institutional capacity to implement them consistently.