Speakers at a one-day conference on Monday said the government was acting on the international economic agenda formed against Pakistan, by increasing the prices of oil, gas and electricity. The conference was jointly organised by Pakistan Muttahida Kisan Muhaz (PMKM) and Pakistan Water & Power Action Committee (PWPAC) at National Press Club. Speaking on the occasion, PMKM President Ayub Khan said the country was self-sufficient in terms of food and agriculture but a conspiracy had been planned to make it dependant on other countries for food.
Criticising the government’s slack attitude towards the power generating sector, he said the government could not complete projects for producing cheap electricity which were started some 12 years ago because of this. He said India was taking over all the rivers by violating the Sindh-Tas agreement. “India was not to make hydro power plants and water reservoirs on the rivers of Pakistan including Sindh, Jehlum and Chanab according to the said agreement but is violating it and trying to create anarchy in Pakistan,” he added. The speakers urged the government to publish the documents of the Sindh-Tas agreement to end the corruption of politicians and to stop India from violating it. Ayub said the rulers of the country received high commissions for using energy from foreign countries for themselves and halting the country’s own projects for producing electricity.
He pointed out that everyone knew about the Thar coal project but the government’s stakeholders were reluctant to execute the project despite the fact that India has initiated a similar project in Gujrat and Rajasthan which caused changes in the weather. “These weather changes turned the direction of the monsoon nucleus towards Sindh which resulted in huge devastation in the area” he said, adding that Indian scientists had also warned their government to reduce the number of power plants installed for the execution of the coal project because it was causing climate change in the region. The speakers on the occasion warned the government that if rulers did not make water reservoirs and hydro power projects for the welfare of the masses, the speakers would take to the streets and their strength would be enough to end the government’s tenure.
