Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Najam Sethi on Saturday said the energy crisis is a national issue which can be solved jointly if all stakeholders adopt an integrated approach and asked the federal ministers and industrialists to resolve all energy issues together.
He expressed these views during a meeting with a representative delegation of industrialists led by Gohar Ijaz, former chairman and group leader of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) at the CM Secretariat. Various proposals on providing relief with regards to the energy crisis in Punjab were discussed during the meeting. Federal Minister for Petroleum Sohail Wajahat Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Water and Power Dr Musaddiq Malik, Provincial Industries Minister Arif Ijaz, the Punjab chief secretary, the federal water & power secretary, the federal petroleum secretary, the principal secretary to CM, and several other concerned officials were present in the meeting.
Talking to the delegation, Sethi said the country was facing a severe energy crisis. He said the burden of electricity and gas load shedding had to be shared so that the common man could get relief. The CM said ensuring elections in a transparent and peaceful manner was the top priority of the caretaker set up. He said possible reduction in load shedding for domestic and industrial consumers would be ensured. Sethi assured all possible efforts would be made for providing electricity and gas to keep industries thriving. He said the industrial sector of Punjab was continuing activities in extraordinary conditions which he said was commendable. He sought cooperation of industrialists for reducing the period of load shedding. He insisted that everyone had to reduce the energy crisis collectively and evolve a common strategy for resolving it.
He appealed to industrialists to supplement the government’s efforts keeping in view national interests.
The meeting decided that representatives from the industrial sector, the federal minister for petroleum, water and power and representatives from provincial governments would evolve a collective strategy that could help provide relief to industrialists and people of Punjab with regards to load shedding.
Federal Minister for Water and Power Dr Musaddiq Malik said all efforts would be made for providing relief to industrialists and people of Punjab with regards to energy. He said the private sector was playing an important role in strengthening the national economy and developing the country. Malik said he was a businessman and was fully aware of the problems of industrialists. Former APTMA chairman and Group Leader Gohar Ijaz welcomed the appointment of Najam Sethi as caretaker CM and assured him of full cooperation with regards to holding elections in a peaceful and transparent manner. He said the textile industry of Punjab had reached the verge of disaster due to load shedding. He added that textile was the biggest industry in the province and provided jobs to millions of people. He said the energy crisis was causing an irreparable loss to the industry. Ijaz expressed hope that Sethi would solve their problems and play his due role for providing relief in this regard.
