Daily Times

SAHIWAL: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that his government was committed to fast-track development of the country and would not be deterred by the petty politics of sit-ins.

Addressing a large gathering here after reviewing progress on the $1.8 billion Sahiwal Coal Power Project that would add 1,320 megawatts to the national grid by the end of 2017, Sharif said that positive economic indicators and turn-around were a proof of the government’s achievements in a short span of time.

Sharif regretted the politics of criticism and confrontation and said that protests and objections to national projects for petty gains were not doing any service to the nation.

“Had there been no sit-ins in Pakistan, many of the projects would have been completed by now,” he said in a reference to the protest movement of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad that delayed the visit of the Chinese president to Pakistan.

The prime minister said the government was committed to take the country forward on the path of progress and prosperity. He said that ongoing projects were for the people and not for the workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) alone. He mentioned protests against the Orange Line project. He said the project was for the people of Pakistan and it would provide them quality transport facility at affordable rates. He said that those who were critical of the first motorway project were now benefiting from it, but they would not admit it. He said that a network of roads and motorways was being set up side-by-side construction of big infrastructure projects.

The Chinese president announced $46 billion investment in power projects during his visit that would create jobs and a huge economic activity in Pakistan, he added.

The prime minister, who earlier reviewed progress on Pakistan’s first coal power plant, urged the authorities to expedite work on the project to help the country meet its critical energy needs. He directed early completion of the rail link, the conveyor belt at Port Qasim and the transmission line to ensure full functioning of the project. He said that he was equally focussing on power projects across the country. He said that previous governments ignored country’s energy needs and this negligence led to the prevailing power crisis.

Sharif mentioned the work on Dasu Dam over the River Indus and Tarbela Expansion projects. He said his government was working on long-term projects like 4,500-megawatt Diamir Bhasha Dam, 1320-megawatt Jamshoro project and a 1,700-megawatt wind power project. He said the objective of his government was not only to generate more power, but also to supply cheap electricity to industries. He mentioned the Rs 3 cut in power tariff by his government.

The prime minister said that 3,600 megawatts of power would be generated through the use of imported LNG and the projects in this regard would be completed before 2018. He said that billions of rupees had been saved in three power projects alone. He said that a similar project at Port Qasim was being completed at a fast pace. Another 3,400-megawatt project was underway at Thar where local coal was readily available. He regretted that Pakistan had never utilised its own coal to generate electricity.

Sharif spoke high of the deep strategic partnership between Pakistan and China and said the friendship between the two countries had stood the test of time. He referred to the Sino-Pakistan joint production of the JF-17 Thunder aircraft and said it was a symbol of their deep friendship and an important addition to the Pakistan Air Force. He was proud that the two countries agreed on the joint production during his previous tenure.

The prime minister also greeted the Chinese engineers and people on their new year and wished them the best of luck. He earlier visited different sections and saw the ongoing work. He was briefed about the progress on the project being undertaken by the consortium of two Chinese companies, and given details about various phases.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif lauded the fast pace of work being undertaken by the Chinese company and expressed the hope that the project would be complete in half of the stipulated time. He said the team working on the power project was pursuing the dynamic vision of the prime minister who wished to take the country forward on the path of progress and prosperity.

He said the project was fully funded by the Chinese company and an investment of $ 1.8 billion had been made. He said that timely completion of the rail link and the conveyor belt at Port Qasim were of critical importance.

Shahbaz Sharif said all the ongoing power projects were being constructed with full transparency. He however regretted the attitude of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority. He also regretted the sit-ins by the PTI and said they delayed the completion of critical projects across the country.

Song Taiji, chief executive officer of Humeng Shandong Ruyi Energy Private Limited, said he was hopeful that the project would be completed ahead of the schedule. He gave details of construction work on the rail link and transmission line.

The president of the Chinese company undertaking the project was appreciative of the support of the federal and the provincial governments and the cooperation extended to the foreign investors.