"They must be asked for bringing in an era of darkness in Pakistan and giving the nation a curse of 18-hour electricity loadshedding a day," the Prime Minister said in his address at the inauguration of Chashma-III nuclear power plant, completed with assistance of China.
The Prime Minister said an uninterrupted supply of electricity was a lifeline for the continuity of industrial activity in the country, which suffered a severe setback due to power crisis. Nawaz Sharif said the country was now coming out of its troubled times with the completion of development projects on full pace, improved economy and law & order situation.
He said since everything was going on in right direction, all the political sit-ins and agitations were simply useless. "Do not create hurdles and put Pakistan's interests ahead of your personal ones," he asked the politicians. He said such attempts were meant to interrupt the journey of progress and urged upon the political parties to rise above mutual differences and work in the interest of Pakistan.
Sharif said ending loadshedding was the government's top priority and termed completion of Chashma-III nuclear power plant another milestone achieved towards zero-loadshedding. "The commitment to rid the nation of electricity loadshedding by 2018 will be fulfilled Inshallah, for which I am personally overseeing the power projects." The Prime Minister said Chashma-III project was a reflection of solid foundation of friendship between Pakistan and China. He felicitated the nation on completion of the project, which besides adding 340 megawatts electricity to national grid would also contribute to development of the region.
He recalled that the agreement on Chashma-I power project was concluded during his earlier tenure of government. He said the completion of K2 and K3 power plants would not only generate 2,200 megawatt electricity but also strengthen ties between the two countries. He expressed satisfaction over assurance given by the authorities for completion of Chashma-IV by April 2017 instead of the earlier deadline of mid-2017.
He said besides expansion of nuclear projects, the government was also mindful of ensuring their safety standards and expressed satisfaction over the vigilance of Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority. Sharif said the government would fulfil needs of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in its projects and also thanked China Atomic Energy Commission, China National Nuclear Commission and Exim Bank for providing financial and technical support.
He invited the Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan's power sector and assured them of the government's fullest assistance. He said Pakistan and China being close friends were collaborating in diverse areas, mainly China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and infrastructure projects.
The prime minister mentioned that the government with Chinese assistance was building highways in Balochistan, constructing modern airport in Gwadar and upgrading railways system. He said power projects were being built in all provinces, adding there was a tremendous potential for Sino-Pak collaboration in energy sector. The prime minister lauded the services of staffers of Chashma- III power project and announced a two-month bonus with their salaries in recognition to their hard work.
Chairman PAEC Muhammad Naeem said the environment-friendly Chashma nuclear projects were in accordance with the international safety standards. The completion of Chashma-III would not only meet the national requirements of electricity but would also ensure continuity of economic activity, he added.
The vice president of CNNC said China's co-operation with Pakistan in nuclear energy was for peaceful purposes and reflected strategic nature of their relationship. He said nuclear projects were one of the important resources of sustainable energy and economy. He felicitated Pakistan government on completion of Chashma-III and said China would further strengthen co-operation in nuclear energy. Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, PM's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali and Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutenant General Mazhar Jameel were present.