LAHORE (APP) - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that a timeframe of more than 4 to 5 years is required to be bale to import electricity from Iran or China and that there is no short-term solution to the issue. He said this while speaking during a meeting with editors and columnists and later talking to newsmen at a painting exhibition at old Tollington Market here on Wednesday. Kaira said, Hundreds of high energy transmission lines would have to be laid to import electricity from Iran. Equal time would also be required to get power from China due to the high mountainous ranges located in the bordering Gilgit-Baltistan area. He said this would cost billions of dollars to the nation and it was not an easy task as being projected by some quarters. The minister said stability in Afghanistan was a pre-requisite to import electricity or gas from Central Asian States. He added the government was working on all options to address the energy crisis and it had invited all political parties and experts to seek their opinion on the issue. There is no short term solution of the issue and who will be more happy than us to provide cheap electricity to our citizens if it can happen, as being a democratic government we are closer to our people and are daily facing criticism on the issue in streets and road, he said. I invite everyone to come forward and give some practical suggestions as well as point out or shortcomings in resolving the issue, he added.