Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday reviewed the overall energy situation in the country. The Prime Minister has directed Finance, Water and Power and Petroleum Ministries to ensure minimum loadshedding in summer. Prime Minister stated this while chairing the 13th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCE). Chairman Wapda briefed the meeting on status of Tarbela IV, Dasu, Neelam Jhelum and Diamir-Bhasha hydro power projects.
The Prime Minister directed that projects must be completed within the stipulated timeframe, allowing the government to meet the energy shortage during its tenure in office. Secretary Water and Power, Younus Dagha informed the meeting that six- to eight-hour loadshedding is being carried out in urban areas, excluding those where recoveries are less than 40%, while its duration in industrial sector is only four hours.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar; Federal Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Muhammad Asif; Chief Minister Punjab, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif; Federal Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafiq; Federal Minister for Petroleum, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Federal Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal; Advisor to PM, Sartaj Aziz; Minister of State for Petroleum, Jam Kamal; Minister of State for Water and Power, Abid Sher Ali; SAPM, Tariq Fatemi; Spokesman PM House, Musaddiq Malik; Secretary to PM, Javed Aslam; Secretary Water and Power, Younus Dagha; Secretary Petroleum, Arshad Mirza and Chairman Wapda, Zafar Mahmood among other senior officials.