Cheap power: Sharif says govt striving to generate affordable energy

CM says government trying to overcome power crisis.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the government was striving to generate affordable power.

He was speaking to a delegation of a Chinese company. The officials expressed interest in setting up an LNG-fired power project in the province. Sharif said the government was trying to quickly overcome the energy crisis. He said a comprehensive strategy had been formulated to generate power from all sources of energy. Sharif said the government had focused its energy on executing coal and gas-fired power projects to provide citizens’ with affordable energy. He said an LNG terminal in Karachi would start functioning soon. Special Assistant to Chief Minister Azmul Haq and Punjab Power Development Company chairman Arif Saeed were also present on the occasion.

Delegation calls on Sharif:

A delegation of the Canada-Pakistan Business Council called on Sharif. The delegation was led by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Chairman SM Munir. Topics of mutual interest including the promotion of economic and commercial activities were discussed at the meeting.

The chief minister said the nation was at a critical juncture in its history. He said the government was committed to ridding the nation of terrorism. Sharif said the government had taken various steps to overcome the energy crisis. The chief minister said the Peshawar carnage was unprecedented in the history of mankind. He said the blood of the martyrs would not go to waste.

Sharif said the political, military and religious leadership had been brought to the same page regarding the need to eradicate terrorism under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. He said the nation would be transformed into a citadel of peace with the force of national unity. Sharif said the war on terrorism would be won at all costs. He said terrorism was the greatest hurdle to national development and prosperity.

The chief minister said an investor-friendly atmosphere had been fostered in the Punjab. He said the council should exploit opportunities in the energy and agriculture sectors. Sharif said steps would be taken to strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Canada. He said a large number of Pakistanis were residing in Canada. The chief minister said they should strive to revamp the nation’s image.

Sharif said Pakistan’s first large solar project was being set up at Bahawalpur’s Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park. He said the project was nearing completion. Sharif said the government had financed the 100-megawatt project from its own resources.

The delegation members praised the chief minister for taking various steps to develop the Punjab. They said they had witnessed great progress in the province and invited Sharif to visit the Canadian province of Ontario.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2014.