Water and Power Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday said his priority was to reduce Loadshedding hours in order to make it tolerable and ensure judicious distribution of power across the country. Pakistan has a chronic shortage of electricity, causing rolling blackouts often lasting 12-16 hours in urban and rural areas due to which people have suffered psychological disorders.
Talking to media prior to taking charge as Minister for Water and Power, he said he would not give any specific date to end loadshedding in the country like his predecessor Raja Pervez Ashraf who is facing corruption charges in Rental Power Plants (RPPs). "I will not say it will take days, weeks or months to end Loadshedding but I can say that it will take a year at least. There is a supply-demand gap, as well as power theft and massive corruption which needs to be eradicated," he added.
Khwaja''s predecessor, Dr Musadik Malik has finalised a comprehensive reform plan for the power sector which highlights corruption as one of the key factors in the destruction of the country''s power sector. Dr Malik who insiders claim is a candidate for Advisor to the Ministry of Water and Power, has briefed the top leadership of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) twice in Lahore in the presence of Khwaja Asif.
The sources said Asif, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who is considered an honest man and Shaukat Tarin, former finance minister who compelled the Gilani cabinet to agree to a third-party audit of the rental power projects, got a detailed report on power sector issues prepared by Dr Malik. In reply to a question, Minister for Water and Power said all resources will be utilised to extend relief to consumers across the country.
"We have decided to develop power projects for short-term, mid-term and long-term to provide relief to consumers," he added. Answering another question, he said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will announce a policy on reducing Loadshedding duration within a few days. With regard to appointments in attached departments of Ministry of Water and Power, he said that eligible officials will be appointed on all positions based on merit. He said the government will focus on power generation through coal, water and alternate sources will be used as thermal power is too expensive. The officials of Ministry of Water and Power gave him a briefing on power sector issues including cost of generation, selling price to the consumers and future plan regarding upward revision in tariff.