ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Monday that load-shedding in the country would be reduced to three and half hours from today (Tuesday).

Addressing a news conference along with Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir and Minister of State for Petroleum Musadiq Malik, he held the previous government responsible for the load-shedding and stated that neither any new power plant was set up nor a single megawatt of electricity was added by them in the system.

Abbasi said that for the last few days, the government’s focus was on electricity and he wanted to place some facts before the people. He said that today electricity demand has increased 25,000 MW due to the heat wave.

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The fuel- coal, diesel, LNG and furnace oil- was available in the country to produce 17,000-18,000 MW when the present government assumed the power. We have increased it more than 21,000 MW. During the last three days and today there is a shortage of 4,000MW which required four hours load shedding to bridge the demand and supply.

Besides, he said that other sectors, fertiliser and the export sector was provided.

He said that from 16th June load shedding would be reduce to three hours and after June 30, load shedding would be reduce to one and half hours.

The former prime minister said that we accept the situation inherited as a challenge and will try to resolve them.

He said that two big plants which were to produce cheapest electricity and were to be completed in 2019-20 have not been completed. He said that the previous government neither set up any new power plant nor a single unit was produced.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022