Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab leadership has termed spending on war against terrorism as a cause behind on going energy crisis in the country. Talking to Business Recorder, Deputy Secretary General Punjab Usman Salim Malik said heavy cut on development fund to spend on war against terrorism has depleted government exchequer to meet expenses for fresh generation of electricity through thermal sources.
It may be noted that Pakistan has substantially reduced Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) both at the centre and provincial levels to meet war against terrorism expenses. Pakistan has further indicated in its recent strategic dialogue with the US that it has spent some 40 billion dollar to continue with its commitment on war against terrorism.
"Heavy utilisation of development funds on war against terrorism has cut government spending on electricity needs," said Malik. It may be noted that the supply-demand-gap of electricity has crossed abnormal level of 5000MW in the country, inviting public anger at large. "Yes, we are experiencing public anger during recent by-polls in different parts of the country mainly due to energy crisis," Malik admitted while talking to the Business Recorder.
It is also worth noting that the Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has apologised the nation for power crisis and appealed them to avoid damaging public properties during anti-government protests. Raja has been assuring the nation to overcome power deficiency by December throughout 2009, which proved untrue.
Meanwhile, another PPP Punjab active member Azma Bukhari, who is also wife of PPP Punjab Secretary General, blamed the PML-N for fanning anti-government protests on power crisis. She said the PML-N was trying to take the situation to the mid-term polls by instigating the public during next two months. However, she expressed the hope that the government would overcome power crisis by investing on Rental Power Plants by the end of this summer.