Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that the provincial government will set up 10 coal-based power plants of 150 megawatt each with the help of foreign investment in the province. He said, in the first phase, imported coal and in the second phase, indigenous coal will be used in these power plants. He was addressing a meeting of Chinese investors and the Pakistani delegation in Beijing on Saturday.
The Chief Minister said that energy generating projects from coal in Pakistan were on the top of the list of Pak-China agreements. He said unfortunately no attention was paid to energy generation from coal in the past but the present government was implementing a comprehensive strategy for providing electricity to the people through cheaper sources. Shahbaz Sharif said the coal-based power plants to be installed with the co-operation of China which would be supercritical and these modern coal-based power plants would be environment-friendly. He said that cheap electricity will be generated through coal-based power plants which would provide relief to the people. He said that modern mining of indigenous coal will be carried out with the co-operation of China and this coal will be used in power plants. The Chief Minister said that joys of those desirous of postponing the visit of the President of China to Pakistan through sit-ins were temporary. He said that a new history of Pak-China friendship has been written through 19 agreements being made in Beijing on Saturday and these agreements reflect complete confidence of the Chinese leadership in the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan and China would ensure implementation on these agreements through hard work and determination. He said that agreements made with China would be completed with quality, speed and transparency. He said the provincial Punjab government will ensure that all work should be carried out at reasonable rates and every penny of investment should be used by considering it a trust.
The Punjab Chief Minister said no doubt that the implementation on agreements will take time but "we will march forward through hard work and determination and the loss caused due to politics of sit-ins will be made up". He said that no hindrance can be created in Pak-China friendship.