## 3 Energy Dilemma: Coal Resources and Power Demand  
Mining safety, mining techniques, and the increased utilization of coal resources in Pakistan are critical in addressing the country's energy crisis. Given the ongoing energy crisis and the availability of indigenous coal resources in Pakistan, it is crucial to focus on improving coal mining safety to ensure sustainable and efficient power generation. Energy is the lifeline for the progress of any nation; however, progress cannot be made and sustained without an adequate energy supply. Pakistan has been facing an acute crisis of energy for decades. There are multiple causes of the energy crisis in Pakistan, with the lack of domestic coal utilization being one of them. Increasing demand and consumption of energy are adding to the substantial escalation in power scarcity since electricity is considered a basic need for utilization in the industrial and domestic sectors. Mining safety is crucial for the sustainable development of coal resources. Unsafe conditions, often worsened by outdated methods and inadequate safety regulations, lead to accidents that cause both human and economic losses while also disrupting coal production. Without prioritizing safety, scaling up coal extraction to meet growing energy demands becomes impossible. Implementing proper safety protocols and modernizing equipment will not only protect workers but also enhance the productivity and efficiency of coal mines. As mentioned earlier, in Pakistan, both the domestic and commercial sectors experience significant power outages lasting approximately 8 to 12 h every day. These outages are a result of insufficient power generation capacity in the country. Coal is a cheap source of energy, and Pakistan possesses a substantial quantity of it. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the development of the coal mining sector by the government for the appropriate utilization of coal. Table 1 highlights the total coal resources in Pakistan [20]. Figure 4 shows that coal contributed only 0.14% of power generation in 2013-2014, which is considerably little compared to the massive coal reserves in the country. Hence, the proper utilization of coal may boost the economy by reducing the energy crisis in Pakistan [21]. According to 2015 statistical data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), in Pakistan,  
Figure 3: Co-occurrence network illustrating relationships among authors and keywords. hydropower (30.7%) and oil (37.2%) are the key sources of power generation, followed by natural gas (25.7%), nuclear energy (5.5%), wind energy (0.8%), and coal (0.14%). In Pakistan, the main power consumers are the industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential sectors, and the demand is expected to grow exponentially over the next 30 years [22; 23; 24; 25]. Figure 5 presents the total power consumed by different sectors in Pakistan, such as the industrial, commercial and public service, agriculture and forestry, and residential sectors, which consumed 47.72%, 13.38%, 9.47%, and 29.43%, respectively. The country is currently faced with three main issues, i.e., (1) a gap in coal supply and demand, (2) the import of coal, and (3) expensive energy. The solution to these issues lies in utilizing the indigenous coal resources of the country. In 2022, Pakistan's total annual coal production reached approximately 10 million tons. Despite this, the country's energy needs necessitated the import of around 24 million tons of coal, as illustrated in Figure 6 (data source: [5; 26; 27; 28]). This significant reliance on imports underscores the growing