MUZAFFARABAD: Terming the disqualification of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif for life by Supreme Court as ‘highly unfortunate’, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Friday said the nations around the world show reverence to their leaders who serve them but unfortunately in Pakistan they are dragged in courts and have to face legal proceedings.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project, the prime minister said the countries where there was no respect for the politicians as well as the politics could not achieve progress.
Referring to verdict for lifetime disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister said the practice needed to be abandoned as it should be the people who decide the fate of their leaders. “The decision, at the end of the day, will be made by the public,” he said.
The prime minister said consequent to the untiring efforts, the government had successfully overcome the power shortfall by executing power project to add around 10,400 MW of electricity. He said currently only those areas were facing forced load shedding where power theft had been reported.
The prime minister said Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project was an example of Pak-China cooperation. He said starting from the first day till its completion, the project had faced numerous challenges like design change or cost overrun but the government’s commitment and workers’ efforts achieved it all.
He said the previous governments failed to generate even 2,000 MW but this government generated power even more than that of last 65 years. He also mentioned the construction of highways and motorways of record stretch across the country, particularly in Balochistan.
Apprising the gathering of his government’s diversification of energy production, the prime minister said in future no renewable energy project would be executed if it cost more than thermal project.
“While celebrating the completion of historic project, we should not forget people, suffering at hands of Indian forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir,” the prime minister said, adding that during his recent meeting with the UN secretary general in China, the core subject was the woes of Kashmiri people. Mentioning the murder of 17 people in occupied valley on April 4, he said Pakistan would continue its moral, diplomatic and political support to its Kashmiri brethren.
After the inauguration, the first unit of the hydroproject will generate 242 MW electricity. The first unit will be followed by the second, third and fourth units at one-month intervals respectively. Water filling in head race tunnel has already been commenced, followed by wet commissioning test in order to start generation.
The head race tunnel is a component of 52 kilometer long water way system of the project that has been constructed underground in the high mountain areas to divert water from the water reservoir to the power house of the project.
The project will provide about five billion low-cost hydel electricity units to the national grid every year. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs 50 billion.
Published in Daily Times, April 14th 2018.
