Daily Times

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) strongly believed in the devolution of power at the grass-root level and urged the functionaries to serve the people to the best of their abilities.

While addressing a ceremony to energize Nishtar hospital through solar power, he stated that the Punjab government should ensure physical presence of secretaries from the South Punjab secretariat in Multan and Bahawalpur to address problems of the local people.

“Being public representatives, it is our duty to facilitate local people in getting their issues addressed,” he added.

Qureshi urged Usman Buzdar to check the presence of secretaries in offices and lauded the simplicity and honesty of the CM stating that they wanted to see him (Buzdar) stronger and successful. PTI was focused on South Punjab.

Further, he recalled that a sum of Rs 4 billion was allocated to the South Punjab secretariat and added that people wanted to know how much of it had been utilized. He said that PTI had promised to establish the south Punjab province adding: “And we will emerge triumphant before the people.”

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also lauded the efforts of Provincial Minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik for offering the facility to energize Nishtar hospital through Rs 46 million Retrofitting Project.

The project will help offer economical electricity to the hospital and it would save millions of rupees by conserving electricity. Annually, there will be a saving of Rs. 35 million at Nishtar hospital and Rs 17.5 million in the case of Children Hospital, he added.

The FM also said that a huge benefit has been ensured at a small cost of Rs 81 million for the two projects. The cost of the solar project at the Children Hospital complex was Rs 35 million and informed that the cost would be recovered in just two years and the electricity generation through these projects would be almost free of cost for the rest of their lifespan of 23 years.

He said that people-friendly policies would always ensure best utilization of tax-payers money. However, he lamented, the past government finalized costly agreements and it was very difficult to revise these agreements due to sovereign guarantees. However, the incumbent government was taking steps to shift focus from thermal to cheaper sources including hydel and solar energy.

Qureshi also hinted that the government was working on 10 hydel projects which would be completed in the next 10 years. Pakistan possessed potential to produce 50,000 megawatts through  these projects. Similarly, the country has enough sunlight for solar projects.