Energy crisis: people need to be patient, not expect any quick fixes: Prime Minister

Prime Min-ister Nawaz Sharif has once again urged people to scale down their expectations as the government cannot fix the problem of loadshedding in six months or even in one year, and it may take nearly five years. "We will try in our five-year term to resolve the problem," he pledged while addressing a ceremony organized to award 'Privileges and Honour Cards' to 100 top taxpayers here on Tuesday. Nawaz maintained that he had never stated that the problem of loadshedding would be solved in six months or one year.
"Things cannot be changed in a year," he said, adding that there would be a visible improvement in the energy sector within five years. The Prime Minister came hard on his opponents and used the occasion to send a message across that no one would be allowed to hinder the development process. He added that a few thousand people could not change the mandate of millions. Nawaz said that his party got millions of votes in the general elections; he urged his political opponents to support the development agenda of the government and argued that it was time for constructive politics as the country was faced with multiple challenges, including energy crisis, terrorism, poverty and illiteracy. He added that there is no room for negative politics because the country is facing serious challenges on all fronts. Pakistan Muslim League (N) was given the mandate by the people and must be allowed to work, he added. The Prime Minister claimed that his party never tried to remove any government from power and stated that the "long march for restoration of judiciary would not have ended at Gujranwala if we had had any evil designs".
He said those raising hollow slogans of revolution and change were bound to fail in their designs. "Thirty to forty thousand people cannot bring a revolution and steal the mandate of those who secured millions of votes in the polls," the Prime Minister said. Nawaz said country's economy had been put on the right path - a fact that had also been endorsed by several international organisations including the Moody's, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He said the government had initiated several projects to overcome energy shortages. Gaddani, Port Qasim, Thar, Sahiwal and Jamshoro are some of the major coal-based projects which will help meet the demand and supply gap, according to him. The Prime Minister said "our government also envisaged Lahore-Karachi Motorway project besides improving the transport system in Karachi".