Power conservation: Punjab, K-P reject govt's plan to shut markets at 8:30pm

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governments have refused to comply with the federal government’s conservation plan to save energy and reduce its consumption nationwide.

The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the National Energy Conservation Plan, which included the decisions to close markets at 8:30pm and marriage halls at 10pm.

“The approval to the Conservation Plan has been accorded in line with the advice of the Power Division. It will come into force at once across the country,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said while unveiling the salient features of the austerity plan at a media briefing in Islamabad.

Reacting to the decision, Punjab senior minister Mian Aslam Iqbal said that the provincial government will formulate its own energy conservation policy after consulting with all stakeholders including traders.

He said the Punjab government will not implement the conservation policy as it was announced by the PML-N-led government “in haste”.

“We will meet with all stakeholders… a meeting will be held with the representatives of chamber of commerce and shopkeepers of Punjab,” he added.

The Punjab minister said that the economic condition of the country had already been deteriorated while the federal government “is taking revenge for its failure from the people”. “The decisions of the ‘imported government’ will not be accepted by the Punjab government come what may.”

Likewise, K-P government information adviser Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said the federal government did not consult the provincial government on the energy conservation plan.

The K-P is already taking several measures to save energy including widespread solarisation, use of LED bulbs and others, he added.

He said steps are also being taken to eliminate environmental pollution.

The information adviser said the provincial government had not taken any decision regarding the implementation on the federal government’s policy yet.

Traders divided over conservation plan

On the other hand, the business community is divided over the federal government’s energy conservation plan.

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has announced its support to the government’s decision of early markets and restaurants closure while other organisations — All Pakistan Anjuman Tajran (APAT) and Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan (MTTP) — have rejected the decision.

APAT president Ajmal Baloch announced that the traders will not close shops before 10pm while restaurants will remain open till 11pm.

MTTP chief Kashif Chaudhry said that the government had formulated the policy without taking the business community into confidence and refused to comply with the energy conservation plan.

FPCCI’s Pakistan Business Forum has supported the government's decision, saying that circular debt “is eating the country like termites and this move will save electricity”.

Criticisng the government’s decision, Baloch said saving energy by halting the economic activity was not a wise move and suggested the authorities to adopt austerity measures in the government departments to save fuel and electricity.

“AC and heaters should be switched off in the government offices and institutions. Rulers and bureaucrats should end VIP protocols and stop taking free petrol, electricity and gas.”

Chaudhry said that the country is already reeling under economic crisis due to flawed policies of the rulers and the government is taking such measures to hide its failures.

“The country's economic condition cannot afford such measures.”