Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor expressing grave concern over ongoing electricity load shedding in the holy month of Ramadan has demanded from the government to overcome fuel crisis and end power outages on warfooting basis.
He said load shedding has not only affected households but also marred small businesses, shopkeepers, traders and artisans. He said the Eid season; the biggest shipping season of the year is Pakistan is about to start, but the hours long electricity load shedding has already affected it. He said tailors and other skilled workers using electric machines face severe problems due to load shedding. He said housewives are tormented due to power outages as they can’t prepare Sehri and Iftari due to load shedding. He said water supply in multistoried building is also badly affected due to power outages.
Altaf Shakoor said that the government must procure LNG and other fuels to run power plants smoothly. He said it is the job of policymakers to ensure sustainable fuel supply in the country for smooth power generation. He said the circular debt in electricity and gas sector is very high and it is sagging our already faltering economy. He asked the government to take serious steps to resolve this most serious issue.
PDP Chairman said that industrial production has virtually come to standstill due to fuel shortage and power load shedding. He asked how the wheels of industry would run when there is no electricity. He said stalled industrial production has delay a deadly blow to economy.
He said that the policies dictated by international lenders have played havoc with economy. He said political bickering in the country has further worsened the situation. He said that it is responsibility of the political forces to join hands on a broad based agenda to salvage our failing economy. He said growing inefficiency and line losses of DISCOs are increasing bills of electricity end-co summers, but the NEPRA has failed to perform its regulatory role in a true spirit. He said there is no one to take care of the interests of electricity consumers who are being looted with both hands.
Altaf Shakoor demanded urgent and revolutionary steps to check power outages on immediate basis. He said the government should waive off all taxes from solar and alternative energy equipment to promote cheap, clean renewable energy to give some relief to Pakistani power consumers. He hoped that the new government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would take required steps in a true sense of urgency to overcome lingering load shedding of electricity in whole Pakistan, especially, the megacity Karachi that is hub of commerce, trade and industry, besides being a powerful revenue generating engine for the nation and the country.
