Provinces have right to offer relief: Dar

Says Punjab power subsidy not binding on other provinces

LAHORE:

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday stated that while the Punjab government's decision to provide power tariff relief to the people cannot be enforced in other provinces, it can be suggested for their consideration.

He emphasized that providing relief to the people was a legal and constitutional right of each province, which allowed them to allocate their resources as they deemed appropriate.

In a bid to offer considerable relief to electricity consumers using up to 500 units, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, who returned to the centre stage after a long hiatus, last week, announced that the Punjab government would be slashing Rs14 per unit from electricity prices for August and September.

The move aimed to help people weather the storm of soaring inflation and skyrocketing electricity bills.

He revealed that the cost of this subsidy, totalling Rs45 billion, had been chipped out from other heads to give people relief.

"If Punjab has worked hard and reduced Rs14 per unit, you cannot enforce it (decision) [on other provinces], you can [only] appeal them [to reduce the power cost], which prime minister and Nawaz Sharif did, Dar said.

The deputy prime minister made these remarks while speaking to the media after paying respects at Data Darbar during the sufi saint's urs in Lahore.

He emphasised that Pakistan's current struggles could have been avoided if the country's trajectory had not been disrupted a few years ago.

"By 2017, the nation was progressing rapidly, but subsequent events have set us back," he said, lamenting the regression of a "once-thriving" economy.

He hoped that Pakistan would be among the 20 largest economies in the next few years.

Dar reminisced about 1999 and mentioned that it was Nawaz who made Pakistan a nuclear power.

He stressed the need to transform Pakistan into an economic powerhouse.

"Today, Pakistan has become an atomic power. Now it has to become an economic power," he said.

Touching on recent political developments, Dar mentioned a meeting with Bilawal Bhutto's delegation, downplaying any significant conflicts with the PPP.

He reaffirmed that the relationship between the PML-N and the PPP remains strong, stating that there are no unresolved issues between the two parties.

Dar concluded by stating that Pakistan's security and institutions are a "red line" that cannot be crossed, underscoring the government's commitment to combating terrorism and ensuring the country's stability.