Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his four-day visit to Turkey met on Wednesday with Istanbul’s mayor, the governor and the energy minister and discussed issues of mutual interest with them. Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yaldez offered his country’s support to Sharif in overcoming the ongoing energy crisis in Pakistan.
Sharif’s visit to Turkey has been overdue for two months. He left for Istanbul on Monday, accompanied by a high-powered delegation comprising members of the provincial assembly, technocrats, bureaucrats and experts from various fields, particularly transport, energy sector and solid waste management. The Punjab CM is scheduled to return home on Friday.
Due to his scheduled visit, Sharif had to cancel his party’s provincial organisational elections in Punjab which were due on January 4, but will now be held on January 11, where the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will elect its provincial president and general secretary.
During his meeting with Yaldez, the Punjab CM discussed cooperation in various projects between the Punjab government and Turkey.
Yaldez offered Sharif all kinds of assistance in meeting Pakistan’s energy needs by setting up hydel and coal power projects in Punjab. The energy minister also mentioned various projects of alternative energy sources in which, he said, Turkey and the Punjab government could extend cooperation. Yaldez said he could immediately send energy experts from Turkey to motivate the business community in Pakistan for investment in the energy sector in Punjab, adding that Pakistan would always be a priority for Turkey.
Thanking the minister, Sharif said that under the current circumstances, Pakistan needs immediate “effective and all-out” assistance in the power sector. Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbash assured the Punjab chief minister that Turkey would ensure a proper status for Pakistan in the international community and will take active part in the country’s development activities.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.
COMMENTS (20)
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@moeed: If its so, then can you explain the how our exports are 10% higher (interms of US$) than the preceding year, despite depriciation of Rs viz-z-viz US$.
Leave everything Chhotay Mian Ji. Tell us: Did you get everything from Istanbul, for which you had to all the way to Holland and Germany every 3 months?
good job
Only PML(N) is working for Pakistan. I have not seen such patriotic leaders in my life.
Why does every country has a mayor system while in Pak the only people who are supporting it is PTI and MQM, while PPP and PLN-N are against
Why are they scared to give the people the power...
@Cautious: Perhaps you have not been to Punjab or Lahore but you should ask your fellow Indians about development in Punjab and how stable things are compared to what your Indian media tells you. It is due to the efforts of Shahbaz Sharif that Punjab is growing and that scares other political parties in Pakistan.
Its really sad to see that our country has no integrated development plan whatsoever. The lack of coordination between the federal and the provincial government is shameful. While many our praising the CM for his statement there are a few things that one must consider
Firstly, the federal government has already laid the foundation for the Basha Dam in Gilgit Baltistan. The Dam is being built to provide Punjab with electricity. Rather than relying on Basha Dam which will support the province of Gilgit Baltistan the CM of Punjab has instead decided to build his own dams and hence our tax payers money will be going to Turkey. This is a complete waste of public finances. 11.19 Billion Dollars are being spent on Basha Dam and it has a capacity of 4500 Megawatts. CM Punjab should show his support for the Government of Gilgit Baltistan rather than the Turkish Government,.
CM Punjab seems more interested in the what his projects will do for the ballet box rather than having sensible development policy.
at least some body is working to get rid from power crises!!!!
too late my friends our industry is destroyed the textile industry has suffered havily and it is four years since we are facing this why did this idea did'nt come early or is it only me who knows that elections are coming
Appreciate now I can see Shahbaz is working pro-actively to flourish Punjab.
This is classic political smoke -- the issue isn't finding someone to build a power plant the issue is finding the money to build the power plant. If you had the money you could pick up the phone an have 50 large international companies courting you to start construction.
Where are our own engineers CM saab, Our own people are jobless and running out of country to get engineering jobs. Why don't you hire and pay our engineers as much as you're going to pay turkey and we'll see what we can't built in this country !!!!!!!
Pakistani businessmen and entrepreneurs are very much innovative and they only need a conducive environment to grow. Just provide them a secure environment with least bureaucratic hurdles and you will see this nation growing.
Punjab shoud focus on Power Plants that may generate cheap electricity such as i) Power plants based on Muncipal Solid Waste ii) Rice Husk in Narowal & surrounding areas.iii) Coal especially in Makarwal & Salt Range, Khushab & Chakwal iv) Micro Hydel on the Canals & tributries of Rivers. Solar and Wind may also be looked into. An exhaustive plan be made to revamp and put into service those Public Sector Redundant Thermal Plants that are located in Punab such as Shahdrah,Faisabad, Multan and Muzaffargharh etc.
@Amjad, Correct !!!
Which is all great. but what about facilitating the investors once they land here. The ones already here, especially in the power sector, complain of negligence, fraud and burucratic hurdles in getting their projects off the ground.
May Allah help you in your sincere efforts
Well done Chief Minister! No one in Punjab disputes the care and attention you give to the people in Punjab. You are the reason why Punjab is the best managed and governed province in the nation. As for the comments above about kick backs, I am sure that things in Punjab are a great deal more transparent than other places.
Good work CM but make sure the plans and agreements get implemented with no kick backs and commissions.