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Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan is facing serious problems due to worst load-shedding of its history, however, the incidents of looting and burning of public properties during protest demonstrations against load-shedding are highly deplorable.
Talking to media representatives at Punjab Assembly here on Tuesday the chief minister said he has fervently appealed to the people in public meetings, press conferences and TV talk shows to register their protest in a peaceful manner and ensure that no public or private property is damaged. He said administration and police have been directed to ensure with the help of leaders that protests remain within the parameters of peace and tranquility.
However, the Chief Minister pointed out that worst load shedding has deprived the people of their livelihood and they have been forced to go without food and sleep, therefore, if the citizens do not protest then what they should do. He said that some elements wanted him to open fire on hungry and unarmed people and, in case, anybody was killed, everything will turn topsy-turvy.
"Those misguided rulers who are responsible for pushing the country into darkness during the last four years, are holding the provinces responsible for load-shedding," he added. He said had attention been paid to generation of energy through coal, bagasse, hydel and other resources, the energy crisis being faced by the nation would have been solved to a great extent and the labourers and the common man would not have come out on the streets to protest. He said that the interest of Pakistan should be uppermost and practical steps should be taken to stop the economy of the country from deteriorating further. The Chief Minister said that there was a need to bring down the circular debt and it can be done if the looted amount of NICL scandal, loans written off on political basis and 60 million dollars deposited in foreign banks was retrieved. He said that Punjab would contribute its share for payment of the circular debt of five billion dollars if the federal government and other provinces did the same.
He said that one couldn't realise the difficulties being faced by the citizens while sitting in the cool and air-conditioned rooms. He pointed that whereas Punjab government fully implemented the decisions taken in the energy conferences, the federal government did not implement its any decision. About 650-megawatt electricity, which is being generated in Punjab, is being sent outside but we remained quiet in the larger interest of the federation, he added.
Shahbaz Sharif said that he was first and foremost a Pakistani and then anything else. He said that he hates provincial prejudices, as Pakistan comprises federating units including Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012

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