Deadline after Deadline; Govt has Resorted to Deception on Ending Load Shedding
Federal ministers say, power shortfall is 4,000 megawatts, while according to Power Division statistics, power shortfall across the country is 7,000 megawatts.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the duration of power load shedding will be reduced from Tuesday (i.e. today) to three and a half hours.
Analysts say the government should take steps on a solid basis to end load shedding, not give Deadline after Deadline.
Speaking at a press conference with Federal Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir, Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, and Musaddiq Malik in Islamabad yesterday, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the duration of load shedding across the country would be reduced by 2 hours from June-16. The duration of load shedding will be reduced to less than two hours.
He said power shortfall in the country is 4000 MW due to which load shedding is taking place. He said power generation is 21 thousand megawatts while demand is 25 thousand megawatts.
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On the other hand, Power Division issues details regarding power shortfall on an almost daily basis, according to which the power shortfall across the country has exceeded 7,500 MW.
It may be recalled that on April 26, while claiming to activate 21 of 27 closed power plants, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had said that load shedding would end from May-1.
Speaking in the National Assembly in April, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had claimed that power shortage in the country was due to the shutdown of 27 power plants during the previous government.
Similarly, on Saturday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said load shedding for more than two hours would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
An emergency meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the issue of load shedding. The meeting was attended by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Muftah Ismail, Musaddiq Malik and other PML-N leaders along with Ministry of Energy and LESCO officials.
During the briefing meeting, Prime Minister was informed that two hours of load-shedding was being carried out across the country. Saying that two hours of load shedding is taking place. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said I am not ready to believe your lies.
According to latest data released by Power Division, power generation in the country is about 21 MW while demand is 28,000 MW.
According to Power Division, current power shortfall in the country is about 7000 MW. In some cities and villages, duration of load-shedding has exceeded 12.
Power Division has expressed possibility that power generation will soon increase and load-shedding will decrease.
Analysts say the government should not put the public behind truck lights and take all possible measures to increase power generation and reduce load-shedding.
Ministers should not resort to fraud during press conferences. Details of the shortfall in electricity should be obtained from the concerned agencies. Because today is the age of internet, no one can hide the truth.
