PM Defends Punjab’s Autonomy in Funding Relief
Energy Minister Promises ‘Good News’ on IPPs Soon
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government’s exclusive power subsidy has sparked tension among ruling coalition partners, with the PPP and PTI-led provincial governments in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) accusing the PML-N of favoring Punjab over other provinces.
The controversy erupted when PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, alongside Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, announced a Rs14 per unit relief for Punjab residents consuming between 200 and 500 units of electricity per month. The relief package, funded by a Rs45 billion cut in Punjab’s development budget, was criticized by the PPP-led Sindh government and the PTI-led KP government, who accused the federal and Punjab governments of neglecting their provinces.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defended the relief package, asserting that it was solely funded by Punjab’s budget without federal assistance. He urged other provinces to reallocate their development funds to provide similar relief to their citizens.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah criticized the PML-N for past decisions that he claimed contributed to high electricity costs. He stated that Sindh would focus on developing its own coal and solar power plants, lamenting the federal government’s lack of support for the province’s projects.
Amid the growing political friction, Minister for Energy Awais Leghari acknowledged Pakistan’s high electricity costs but promised “good news” on the issue of independent power producers (IPPs) within the next two months.
Story by Syed Irfan Raza
