Traders and business leaders have finally rolled their sleeves up on unprecedented load shedding and warned Monday a civil disobedience movement soon in case government failed to address their grievances. The former Chairman of Pakistan Poultry Association and former LCCI Senior Vice President Abdul Basit expressed the apprehension that if immediate measures were not taken to overcome electricity shortfall, it may lead to civil disobedience situation-like.
According to him, massive protests in every nook and corner of the country are enough to make the point that situation was fast heading towards a point of no return. The business community was well aware of the fact that it was very difficult for the government to overcome the huge electricity shortage in a few days, but it was unable to understand that why alternate energy generation options are not availed.
Abdul Basit said that solar energy was an immediate solution to ongoing crisis, and as a first step or as pilot project the government should convert all the tubewell operating in Punjab to solar energy. As the conversion would not only ensure proper supply of electricity to the industrial sector but would also be providing relief to the domestic consumers, he added.
Abdul Basit also said that if a decision on Kalabagh Dam was not taken immediately it would be very difficult for both the industrial and domestic consumers to utilise costly thermal electricity. He said that everybody could calculate per unit rate of electricity when the dollar would jump up to higher prices and the prices of oil in the international market would surge.
He said that an earlier decision on Kalabagh Dam would not only earn a good name for the present government but it would also be sending a very positive signal to the international community. He said that the Kalabagh Dam would generate electricity at the rate of 60 paisa per unit, which would be almost free if compared with existing electricity tariff.
The former LCCI Senior Vice President also suggested to the Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sahrif to tap hydropower potential available in the province. He added that on a number of smaller projects pre-feasibility work had already been completed and these projects could be completed in shortest possible time.
Anjuman-e-Tajran Auto Parts President Waqar Ahmad Mian has warned the government to overcome the issue of massive loadshedding; otherwise, traders would be forced to launch civil disobedience movement. Waqar Ahmad Mian, who is also senior member of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), strongly criticised the government on its failure to trounce the energy crisis and said that more than 14-20 hours loadshedding in urban and rural area has annihilated the whole system.
He said that industrialists, traders, common men, students and patients are crying over load shedding, but no avail. He said that PPP government has made repeated increase in electricity, gas and petroleum charges but did not bother to initiate a single project of power generation since its inception. He said industrial production has reduced to an alarming stage while industrial units are being closed down leaving the industrial workers jobless.
He said abandoning of Kalabagh Dam project shows that the PPP government has no interest to do some thing good for the nation. He said that business community supports point of view of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif regarding electricity distribution. He said that PML-N leaders should stand on their feet, otherwise Punjab would have to face horrible situation.
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