The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Wednesday said Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf's renewed focus on energy offered nothing to the masses. The first meeting that Raja Pervaiz Ashraf chaired after assuming the charge as the Prime Minister was to resolve energy crisis proved another useless effort, it said.
"Now, the load shedding has increased in the harrowing summer making lives of 180 million full of miseries, affecting industrial and agricultural production, leading to deaths and making mobs more violent," said PEW President Dr Murtaza Mughal. Announcement regarding provision of extra fuel to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) was taken positively despite the fact that the problem is not scarcity of fuel but non-payment of dues, he said.
Dr Murtaza Mughal said that non serious attitude of the government was evident from the fact that it had not taken any action for resolution of the problem after four sovereign default notices by IPPs. Many believed the PM had less that required level of understanding of economic matters as was the case with his predecessor which would compound problems, he said, adding that PM's stance on NRO had added to the prevailing uncertainty.
Dr Murtaza Mughal said it was generally believed that the political change had not changed the economic policies which had left business community scared and hopeless. The new PM is compromising important economic matters for the sake of political survival which is pushing situation from bad to worst.
The PM's reputation as federal minister, his role in rental power, commitment, ability to take decisions and inclination to please everyone would not help him or country in anyway, said Dr Murtaza Mughal. Popularity of the politicians who have made a mess of the power sector and refuse to initiate reforms is at the lowest ebb. PEW doubts that in the current situation the political leadership will be able to resolve the current unstable situation or put bureaucracy to work in the national interest.
PM's other claims to restore peace, co-operative environment among political parties and cordial relations with key institutions met the same fate therefore government should immediately announce election schedule to infuse hope in the prevailing discouraging environment, Dr Mughal demanded.-PR
Comments
Comments are closed.