According to a news of DGPR received here on Wednesday a historic agreement has been signed between China and Punjab in Beijing during the day for the generation of 120 megawatt power from Taunsa Barrage. The project to be completed with the co-operation of China in three years would cost Rs 26 billion.
Chairman Punjab Development Company Babar Nadeem and the Chairman of the state corporation which produces 30 thousand megawatt electricity in China, Wang Shao Fang signed the agreement. Addressing the signing ceremony, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government and people and said that generation of power from Taunsa Barrage would be a historic event.
He said that load shedding besides creating problems for Pakistani people, had also affected industrial and business activities. He said that generation of power from Taunsa Barrage would help mobilise economy as well as generate employment opportunities. He said that the low-cost power generation project had paved the way for foreign investment in energy and other sectors in Punjab and it is hoped that Pakistan would be able to overcome the serious issue of load shedding through such projects.
He expressed the confidence that China could play an important role in ridding Pakistan of load shedding. Meanwhile, at the invitation of Chinese Communist Party, Shahbaz Sharif met its senior leadership at Great People's Hall. Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Ahmed Hasaan, Saud Majid, Hafiz Mian Nauman, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Rana Mubashar Iqbal, Kiran Imran, Shamsa Gohar and a number of important leaders of Chinese Communist Party were present on the occasion.
Talking to the visiting delegation from Punjab, senior leader of Chinese Communist Party Jia Qing Lin said that Chinese Communist Party was deeply interested in the reforms programme by Muslim League-N. He also stressed the need of better working relationship and increased contacts between the Communist Party of China and Muslim League-N. The Chief Minister Punjab said that equitable distribution of resources and welfare of the deprived segments of the society was the common agenda of both the parties.