The Central Secretary Finance, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muhammad Pervaiz Malik has said that the crisis in the country has deepened due to the federal government's defective polices and poor planning.
Speaking at a party meeting, on Sunday, Malik regretted that rulers seem to be least concerned about grave energy crisis, which has forced the people to take streets.
He said it is the right of the peoples to protest against shortage of petrol and power outages however urged them to remain peaceful as, 'Arson, ransacking and rioting would not provide solution to their problems.' He said rulers must pay attention to overcome energy crisis, as closure of industries would not only damage the national economy but also render a large number of workers jobless giving rise to myriad problems. Malik further said that innocent peple of the country should not be penalised, if no new power plants were installed during the period of former President, Pervez Musharraf.
'The government of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) must not waste time and take rapid measures to overcome power shortage to meet the country's energy requirements,' he asserted. Further, he said that it is the duty of the government to recover Rs200 billion owed by different departments to Wapda adding that 'If the government cannot do it, it has no right to stay further in power.'
Expressing concern over the increase in tariff of natural gas, he said price hike have already made lives of people miserable and the government must not add to their miseries through such steps. He called for an immediate end to load shedding and reduction in rate of petroleum products adding that the parliament session should be called for discussion on national issues.