Power outages may increase in July: PM Shehbaz

Power outages may increase in July: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that load-shedding might increase in July, and an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be reached soon.

Addressing the National Assembly members of PML-N and allied parties, Shehbaz Sharif said that he is well aware of the current inflation situation in the country but the coalition government is working hard to overcome the inflation storm, adding that first time in country’s history tax was imposed on the rich people and through this step we will able to collect Rs200 billion. The wealthy people should come forward with the spirit of sacrifice, PM added.

Rebuking the previous government, PM Shehbaz said that PTI government had brought Pakistan to the brink of bankruptcy but the incumbent government saved Pakistan from bankruptcy. An agreement with the IMF will be reached soon, he added.

While talking about the energy crisis, premier said due to Russia-Ukraine war oil and gas prices have surged significantly all over the world, adding that Pakistan is among those countries which are suffering from this war. The Power outages might increase in July, he said. He said in order to ensure low-cost power generation, the government would import high quality coal from Afghanistan that would save $2 billion dollar in foreign exchange. Through a series of meetings, the government had formulated a mechanism for transportation of coal from Afghanistan to the power plants through tucks and trains, he added.

The prime minister said the government was also strategizing to enhance indigenous production of edible oil to save $4 billion of the country. Similarly, the enhancement of cotton and wheat production was also on our agenda to support and stabilize the national economy.

He said in order to achieve the said goals, Pakistan would seek technical support from the friendly countries instead of seeking aid from them. “Begging should come to an end. This will come to an end. New era will usher. In 14 months of our term, we will change the fate of the country, he resolved.