Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that the energy crisis in the country is going to end soon due to the effective and fast-track measures taken by the present government.
Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of two 660-megawatt coal-fired power plants of the China Power Hub Generation Company Limited near here on Tuesday, he said that the Peoples’ Republic of China had proved that Pakistan was a safe destination for investment.
The minister pointed out that the two coal-fired power plants would be completed with investments of two billion dollars over the next two years. These projects would be equipped with the latest technology to generate electricity at low costs, he added.
He further said that local people would also benefit from these plants with the generation of employment opportunities. Ahsan Iqbal stressed that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was not against anyone and that all can benefit from this mega project. He said that the country had embarked upon the journey of progress and development due to the government’s effective policies.
The minister said that Pakistan was different today than that of 2013, when the present government came to power. At that time the biggest challenge was to overcome the energy crisis and $35 billion were allocated for the purpose. The minister emphasised that development was not possible without overcoming the energy crisis as industry needs energy. He maintained that the CPEC would prove to be an important milestone not only for Pakistan but for the entire region.
“We are grateful to the Chinese for their help,” he remarked. The minister said that the economy of Pakistan was fast progressing and that this was also being acknowledged by the international community. He said that the terrorism had been overcome to a great extent and that the energy crisis would be resolved soon.
Ahsan Iqbal said that the CPEC had given a new dimension to the country’s journey of progress and that South Asian countries should benefit from this mega project. He said that Balochistan had been ignored in the past by attention was now being paid for the progress of the province through the CPEC. The day is not far when basic facilities like metallic roads, education, and healthcare would be available to the people of the rural areas in that province, he added.
The minister said that Gwadar International Airport, 9th Expressway and a project of clean drinking water would be inaugurated this year.