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LAHORE - Prime Minister Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf has said that
Pakistan is watching its own
interests in trade with India and
there will be no compromise on
the interests of the domestic
industry.
The government is committed to
facilitating the business
community and we are watching
the entire development on the
subject and wont compromise on
the interests of the countrys
business community, said the
prime minister, speaking at the
Lahore Chamber of Commerce
and Industry on Tuesday. LCCI
President Farooq Iftikhar
presented address of welcome.
Federal Finance Minister Dr
Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Federal
Minister for Kashmir Affairs
Manzoor Wattoo and Federal
Commerce Secretary Munir
Qureshi also spoke on the
occasion.
He said the government has reset
its priorities by laying greater
focus on improving law and
order situation, equitable
electricity load shedding and
promotion of the private sector.
He said the present government
was ready to implement all
doable energy projects without
any hindrance because it
believed in the private sectors
growth. The government and the
private sector are on the same
page to rid the country of the
economic ills being faced today,
he stated.
The prime minister said the
government was working on a
number of coal and solar power
projects that were not that
inexpensive as being portrayed,
however, with the passage of
time they would be in easy
access of the consumers.
He said that on the request of Dr
Samar Mubarik Mund, the
government gave immediate
response to Thar coal gasification
projects which were well on
way. He, however, made it clear
the project entailed many things,
including power generation
stations and transmission lines,
for their connectivity with the
national grid.
Ashraf said that if the federating
units developed a consensus on
Kalabagh Dam today, the
government would initiate
construction of the dam. The
prime minister said the
government was also focusing on
the hydel component of
electricity and had expedited
work on all hydel projects.
The prime minister said it was
not only Pakistan but many other
countries, including India,
Middle East, Bangladesh, Bhutan
and other SAARC countries, were
also facing the demand and
supply issue of electricity. He
also announced to take LCCI as a
member in the Energy Crisis
Committee under his
chairmanship.
Prime Minister Pervaiz Ashraf
said the countrys progress and
prosperity depended on the well-
being of the business community.
If the business prospered, the
country would automatically
grow. We believe in our people,
particularly businessmen and
industrialists, and will together
steer the country out of the
prevailing challenges, he
maintained.
Speaking on the occasion, LCCI
President Farooq Iftikhar said
the biggest problem the business
community and generally the
whole of Pakistan were facing
was the severe shortage of
energy. The brunt of this crisis is
getting worse by the day. He
said: We must adopt measures
to address this issue urgently as
it is crippling the national
economy.
The LCCI president stressed the
need to make a substantial
investment in the development of
the power sector infrastructure
that was capable of meeting the
countrys growing needs. He
urged the government to allocate
at least Rs 200 billion per year or
10% of the total budget for
energy projects such as Dasu
Power Project, Diamer Bhasha
Dam, Munda Dam, Kohala
Hydropower Project and Kurram
Tungi Dam to produce cheap
energy. He said that none of
these projects except Diamer
Bhasha Dam had a storage
capacity for water. He added
Kalabagh dam was the most
viable project to address the
energy issue, but unfortunately,
the project had fallen prey to
politics. He said Pakistan was a
water-stressed country. By
2025, our water storage capacity
per capita is expected to drop to
700 cubic meters from the
current 1,038 cubic meters and
when this happens, we will be a
water-scarce country. It is
essential to act now to avert such
a situation, he observed.
Farooq Iftikhar said the problem
of circular debt must also be
tackled on sustainable basis. He
said Pakistan had immense
potential to produce cheap and
reliable electricity through coal
and proposed that sizeable funds
be allocated for the development
of Thar Coal Project.
Pakistan watching own interest in trade with India: PM | The Nation
Pervaiz Ashraf has said that
Pakistan is watching its own
interests in trade with India and
there will be no compromise on
the interests of the domestic
industry.
The government is committed to
facilitating the business
community and we are watching
the entire development on the
subject and wont compromise on
the interests of the countrys
business community, said the
prime minister, speaking at the
Lahore Chamber of Commerce
and Industry on Tuesday. LCCI
President Farooq Iftikhar
presented address of welcome.
Federal Finance Minister Dr
Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Federal
Minister for Kashmir Affairs
Manzoor Wattoo and Federal
Commerce Secretary Munir
Qureshi also spoke on the
occasion.
He said the government has reset
its priorities by laying greater
focus on improving law and
order situation, equitable
electricity load shedding and
promotion of the private sector.
He said the present government
was ready to implement all
doable energy projects without
any hindrance because it
believed in the private sectors
growth. The government and the
private sector are on the same
page to rid the country of the
economic ills being faced today,
he stated.
The prime minister said the
government was working on a
number of coal and solar power
projects that were not that
inexpensive as being portrayed,
however, with the passage of
time they would be in easy
access of the consumers.
He said that on the request of Dr
Samar Mubarik Mund, the
government gave immediate
response to Thar coal gasification
projects which were well on
way. He, however, made it clear
the project entailed many things,
including power generation
stations and transmission lines,
for their connectivity with the
national grid.
Ashraf said that if the federating
units developed a consensus on
Kalabagh Dam today, the
government would initiate
construction of the dam. The
prime minister said the
government was also focusing on
the hydel component of
electricity and had expedited
work on all hydel projects.
The prime minister said it was
not only Pakistan but many other
countries, including India,
Middle East, Bangladesh, Bhutan
and other SAARC countries, were
also facing the demand and
supply issue of electricity. He
also announced to take LCCI as a
member in the Energy Crisis
Committee under his
chairmanship.
Prime Minister Pervaiz Ashraf
said the countrys progress and
prosperity depended on the well-
being of the business community.
If the business prospered, the
country would automatically
grow. We believe in our people,
particularly businessmen and
industrialists, and will together
steer the country out of the
prevailing challenges, he
maintained.
Speaking on the occasion, LCCI
President Farooq Iftikhar said
the biggest problem the business
community and generally the
whole of Pakistan were facing
was the severe shortage of
energy. The brunt of this crisis is
getting worse by the day. He
said: We must adopt measures
to address this issue urgently as
it is crippling the national
economy.
The LCCI president stressed the
need to make a substantial
investment in the development of
the power sector infrastructure
that was capable of meeting the
countrys growing needs. He
urged the government to allocate
at least Rs 200 billion per year or
10% of the total budget for
energy projects such as Dasu
Power Project, Diamer Bhasha
Dam, Munda Dam, Kohala
Hydropower Project and Kurram
Tungi Dam to produce cheap
energy. He said that none of
these projects except Diamer
Bhasha Dam had a storage
capacity for water. He added
Kalabagh dam was the most
viable project to address the
energy issue, but unfortunately,
the project had fallen prey to
politics. He said Pakistan was a
water-stressed country. By
2025, our water storage capacity
per capita is expected to drop to
700 cubic meters from the
current 1,038 cubic meters and
when this happens, we will be a
water-scarce country. It is
essential to act now to avert such
a situation, he observed.
Farooq Iftikhar said the problem
of circular debt must also be
tackled on sustainable basis. He
said Pakistan had immense
potential to produce cheap and
reliable electricity through coal
and proposed that sizeable funds
be allocated for the development
of Thar Coal Project.
Pakistan watching own interest in trade with India: PM | The Nation