PM Shehbaz breaks ground of 1,200MW Chashma-5 nuclear power plant

Says the project costing $3.5bn is to be completed in the next seven to eight years

CHASHMA (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday performed the groundbreaking of 1,200 megawatts Chashma-5 nuclear power plant in Mianwali.

Praising the Chinese support, he said this mutual cooperation to promote clean, efficient and cheaper [energy] was a [demonstration of the] great friendship between the two countries and a model for other countries to follow. 

Sharif, who was accompanied by Minister for Power Khurram Dastagir, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and others, said the Chashma-5 nuclear energy project was a huge success story and a wonderful symbol of mutual cooperation.

He said the history of nuclear energy cooperation between Pakistan and China goes back to thirty years, adding this mutual cooperation to promote clean, efficient and comparatively cheaper energy is a great success, manifestation of great friendship and a model for other countries to emulate.

Sharif said Chashma-5 nuclear power project costing $3.5 billion is to be completed in the next seven to eight years. He, however, emphasised the need to reduce this period of installation, saying this would be a great favour to the people of Pakistan. He also thanked China for providing a discount on this project which, he said, was a very kind gesture from the Chinese friends.

The premier said K-3 nuclear energy power plant was inaugurated by him in Karachi a few months ago which is now operational and is equipped with the modern technology like C-5. He said safety arrangements are par excellence and the endorsement in this regard has also came from the head of the IAEA.

Commending the financial support provided by China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent times, The Prime Minister said the risk of potential default has been completed averted through untiring team efforts of all the components of the government of Pakistan.

In her remarks on the occasion, Charge D'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Ms Pang Chunxue said Chashma-5 nuclear power plant will provide more than ten thousand local jobs and a large number of raw materials, equipment and related services will be purchased locally which can effectively promote socio economic development.

She said China-Pakistan cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy has made great achievements. She said iron clad friendship between Pakistan and China is continuously writing new chapters and this was not possible without joint efforts on both sides.

The Chinese Charge D'Affaires said under the CPEC, fourteen energy projects have been put in commercial operation with a total installed capacity of eight thousand megawatts. She said the two countries will move side by side to promote the high quality development of the CPEC and make joint efforts to build a closer China Pakistan Community with a shared future in the new era.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman of China National Nuclear Corporation said our cooperation in nuclear energy has been an integral part of China-Pakistan all weather strategic cooperative partnership and a shining example of international nuclear energy cooperation.

Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Cooperation Raja Ali Raza Anwar said Chashma-5 project has brought us one step closer to the envisaged goal of producing 8800 megawatts clean nuclear energy. He said Chashma-5 will enhance not only our nuclear power technology experience but also have an impact on several areas of socio-economic uplift.

-- Urges promotion of skilled-based vocational training --

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that the government was promoting the skilled-based vocational training to expand foreign remittances that would ultimately help improving the current account deficit of the country.

In his address after laying the foundation stone of the central campus of National University of Technology (NUTECH) here, the prime minister said the new campus would help producing thousands of skilled-based human resource every year who would play their key role in the country’s development.

The prime minister, pledging to make the vocational education as the government’s number one priority, said skilled human resource earn more than the raw labour, hence increasing the country’s foreign remittances.

He said vocational training was key to prosperity and development in today’s era as nations get prosperous only at the back of these skilled-based people.

He hoped that after completion, the campus would play key role in promoting technical and industrial education in the country. He recalled that he for the first time in 1997, put his full force to promote vocational training in the country when there was no comprehensive institution to look after this important area of the education sector.

Similarly, he said the Punjab government led by him established Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) for which Rs 2 billion annual funding was allocated to provide scholarships to the talented and deserving students on merit base. He said this great project under Dr Amjad Saqib brought educational revolution in the province.

Likewise, he said Danish Schools’ project was also his brainchild which helped bridging the gap between rich and poor. “Until there is no discrimination of rich and poor especially in the education sector, the Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of educational right for all can not be fulfilled.”

He said only one month had left for this government and he was still making efforts to provide maximum relief to the people PM Shehbaz also distributed certificates among the high achiever youth in various fields.

Minister for Education and Professional Training Rana Tanvir Hussain said that the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with its untiring struggle brought the country out of deep crisis and set it on the right path. Therefore, he hoped that the people would vote for PML-N in the next general election.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima said vocational education was as important as it was the formal education. She said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his previous tenures as Chief Minister Punjab worked really hard to promote technical and vocational education in the province.

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present on the occasion.