Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said that loadshedding issue has hurt the country and was a major cause of terrorism. Addressing to the officials of various provincial departments at Minar-e-Pakistan tent office on Monday, Shahbaz said though terrorism affected the countrymen but energy crisis has deprived millions of people of their jobs forcing them to indulge in criminal activities. “Loadshedding is also a major cause of surge in terrorism and other crimes,” he said.
Shahbaz said he would have also raised voice if discriminatory attitude in power supply was adopted with any province other than Punjab.
The chief minister said by establishing tent office at Minar-e-Pakistan he has tried to jolt the consciences of the federal government which was busy in enjoying the privileges and was giving considerations to personal and party interests.
Shahbaz urged the officials of provincial departments to minimise the non-development expenditures and spend the saved money for welfare of common man who was in grip of multifaceted crises due to poverty, unemployment, energy crisis and uncertain law and order situation. The chief minister also visited the Raiwind road project and directed the concerned authorities and contractors to complete the development work within four months. For this he said if needed night shift should also be started.
He said the federal government is trampling all norms of justice by adopting a discriminatory attitude to Punjab over the issue of loadshedding and the situation is becoming intolerable for the people of the province. He said people of Punjab were being specially targeted in regard to loadshedding and the industry of the province is being destroyed deliberately.
He said the people of Punjab are being punished for electricity theft and line losses in other provinces.
He said it was the need of the hour to implement uniform loadshedding to combat the energy crisis by implementing decisions of Energy Conferences but, unfortunately, that was not done, therefore, being the “Khadim-e-Punjab” it is his duty to protect the right of the people of the province at all cost.
He said Punjab government was working on multiple projects of generation of energy through coal, hydal, solar and other sources, alongwith implementing projects of electricity generation in industrial estates.
He said solar panels would be distributed amongst to the downtrodden families of rural areas.
The CM warned federal government not to create impediments in regard to electricity generation projects in provinces, and stressed that if other development projects can be expeditiously implemented, the electricity projects can also be operationalised at a quicker pace.
He said action on emergency basis, carried out with true sincerity, was needed to bring the country out of the energy crisis.
