Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif today expressed his government’s acute awareness of the challenges facing the populace and detailed a series of initiatives aimed at providing relief, particularly in addressing the energy crisis and reducing electricity costs. He spoke at a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, emphasizing the government’s commitment to these issues despite potential political pressures.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Prime Minister Sharif highlighted several key measures, including the provision of a fifty billion rupee subsidy over three months to aid consumers using up to two hundred units of electricity. Furthermore, he discussed a significant 70 billion rupee project in Balochistan aimed at converting tube wells to solar energy, with the federal government contributing fifty-five billion rupees.
The Prime Minister also acknowledged the support from Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir in a recent campaign against electricity theft, which was launched during the caretaker government’s tenure. Sharif criticized the politicization of the electricity issue, calling for a united front among all political parties to address this national challenge effectively.
He also directed ministers and government officials to communicate the efforts of successive Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) administrations to tackle load-shedding and discussed ongoing negotiations with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to improve the power supply framework.
In closing, Prime Minister Sharif reiterated the need for a comprehensive government approach to navigate the current challenges and propel the country forward.