Daily Times

KARACHI: The future of the nation lies in the democracy and there is no other choice. We may have differences and dharnas but our common destiny is democracy,” said Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while addressing the inauguration ceremony of 1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Bin Qasim on Wednesday.

“Pakistan has a vibrant democracy and the state’s institutions are on the same page and working for the betterment of Pakistan and the nation,” said the premier and reiterated that the general election will be held in August 2018.

The power plant, jointly developed by Powerchina Resources Limited and Qatar’s Al Mirqab Capital with the total investment of $2.085 billion, is the first project implemented under the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a project poised to benefit over one billion people of the region.

Premier Abbasi said that the 660MW (unit-I) was completed in a record period of time while unit-II would be commissioned by February 2018. “This project reflects the vision of President Xi and former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan is committed to CPEC execution as this will ensure economic growth of the country as well as the entire region,” he maintained.

Mentioning a number of projects that were initiated and completed during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Abbasi said what the incumbent government had delivered during its tenure could not be matched with the previous governments.

He claimed that Pakistan had emerged from the deficit of electricity to surplus power generation and now other energy sector issues, including transmission and distribution and circular debt were being dealt with. “The power tariff has also gone done as the government is putting its efforts to supply cheap electricity to the people,” he added. In his remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said that the Chinese government and Chinese companies would ensure success of CPEC for the betterment and prosperity of Pakistani people and the region. “The most important aspect of the Port Qasim power project is the involvement of Qatar, which reflects the political willingness of China and Pakistan to have peace and development in the region,” Jing observed.

The ambassador hoped that other countries would also join CPEC soon to reap financial benefits of the mega project.

Chairman of Al-Mirqab Group Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his desire to initiate more such projects in collaboration with China and Pakistan.

Sheng Yuming, chairman of Powerchina Resources Limited and Port Qasim Electric Power Company, said that the successful operation of two units would add 1,320MW reliable and environment-friendly energy to the grid. He said that the project was designed to meet full load operation for 30 years, and added that the power plant was expected to make a significant contribution to resolve energy issues in Pakistan.

Power Construction Corporation of China Chairman Yan Zhiyong said that the last three years had witnessed firm determination of Pakistan government in elimination of terrorism and improvement in economic fundamentals, which had led to significant inflow of foreign investment.

He said that the project would annually create around 500 job opportunities to Pakistani manpower during operation period.

Published in Daily Times, November 30^th 2017.