ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday signed the instrument of ratification for Pakistan to become a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) that was founded on 26th Jan 2009 in Bonn, Germany, aims to promote widespread and increased adoption and the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. To-date 149 countries have signed the statute of IRENA while 76 have ratified it.Spokesperson said that recognizing the advantages of this international forum, Pakistan took active part in the formative phase of IRENA and participated actively in the preparatory meetings that were held before this forum was formally established. He said that Pakistan signed the Statute of IRENA in June 2009 and became the 87th country to sign the statute.IRENA facilitates its member’s access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data, economic data and resource potential data. It shares lessons learnt on international best practices, policy frameworks, capacity building, financial mechanism, technology transfer and related energy efficiency measures.In view of the current energy shortage, the growing demands of an increasing population, the financial constraints and environmental concerns, the President has continuously been urging for adoption of alternate means of energy generation at the earliest possible, the Spokesperson said. By becoming a member of IRENA, Pakistan stands to gain significantly, he said.