Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Tuesday held former rulers responsible for energy crisis in the country.
In a statement, the chief minister said that former rulers looted the resources of the country ruthlessly and paid no heed towards the energy crisis.
“Had the past rulers taken measures to end the crisis, the country would have been brought out of darkness, the chief minister said.
Talking to a delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the chief minister said that a number of power projects undertaken by the incumbent government would overcome the energy crisis.
He said that the Punjab government was setting up a new gas-based 1,263MW project to meet the energy needs. “This project has been designed keeping in view the future needs and energy challenges,” he said.
Referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Shehbaz said that work on several power projects had been expedited to curb load shedding.
He said that work on a number of CPEC related projects was being carried out and all these initiatives were near completion. He said that China had invested in different sectors in Pakistan to the tune of billions of dollars and added that more than $36 billion had been invested in energy projects alone.
The chief minister said that untiring efforts of the PML-N government to overcome energy crisis had started yielding fruitful results.
He criticised his political opponents for “hindering” the pace of development across the country. In a veiled reference to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the chief minister said that the sit-in group had dealt a severe blow to the development process in the country.
He took previous governments to task over energy crisis and said that the nation was made hostage to darkness due to criminal negligence and corruption.
“Similarly, a conspiracy was hatched against national development through sit-ins and lockdown and the national economy had to face irreparable loss.”
He said that all such elements left no stone unturned to destroy the country.
The chief minister said that there was no room for anarchy and negative politics in the country as people wanted solution to their problems.
He said that PML-N government would successfully move further the journey of national development.
Separately, in his message of World Polio Day, the chief minister reiterated his commitment to work with utmost zeal and vigour to eradicate the disease from the country.
“Polio-free Pakistan is our mission,” he said, adding all-out resources were being utilised to provide safe and secure future to children.
The Punjab government, he said, was running a composite awareness campaign to strengthen anti-polio efforts. “The role of Punjab is very important in the eradication of polio from the country and its complete elimination from the motherland is an important priority of the government.”
He said that parents should supplement the efforts of the government in overcoming the disease and people from all walks of life should reiterate their commitment that every effort would be made to eliminate the disease.
Source: Daily Times
