Energy crisis: PM refrains from giving deadline

Pervaiz Ashraf says loadshedding being done proportionately, on basis of 'allocated quota'.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Thursday that dealing with the energy crisis was the government’s number one priority since it is a major challenge faced by the nation, but refrained from giving a deadline. 

“We are making all efforts to improve the condition of the power sector and are on our way towards betterment.”

Speaking to the media outside the National Power Control Center (NPCC) in Islamabad after a high-level meeting with ministers, the prime minister said that he understood the challenges in the power sector, citing his past experience as the power minister.

He insisted that there has been an improvement in the loadshedding problem, adding that he did not want to make any tall claims and wanted the public to feel the difference for themselves.

The ministers who attended the meeting included Minister of Water and Power, Minister of Petroleum, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Minister Kashmir Affairs and Minister of Defence.

When inquired regarding a timeline to when the energy crisis would be resolved, Ashraf avoided answering and said that he had been widely criticised for his [tall] claims in the past for never meeting his deadlines and did not want to repeat that mistake.

He said that everyone, including the opposition, political forces and stakeholders in the power sector, needed to work together to combat this problem, adding that stakeholders in the power sector were already working with ‘collective wisdom’ and making well coordinated efforts in this regard.

When asked why his claim of uniform loadshedding throughout the country was not being implemented, Pervaiz replied that he had directed the Water and Power Ministry to ensure uniform loadshedding throughout the country, however, he clarified that loadshedding was being done on the basis of ‘allocated quota’ and ‘proportionately’.

The prime minister also requested for harmony in the country and an end to blame games.