Country facing 2500MW shortfall, says Pervez
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that due to the negligence of the former government the country is facing 2500 megawatt shortfall however on the directives of Prime Minister 2528 megawatt electricity would be generated on emergency basis.
Addressing an emergent press conference and talking to media men outside the Parliament house Raja Pervez Ashraf reiterating that the power crisis was inherited by the new government along with other crisis said that the previous government during the past 9 years of their rule did not generate one megawatt of electricity production due to which when we assumed the government there was more than 3000megawatt shortfall.
He said that due to their failures the demand of electricity increased day by day while the supply decreased. He said that the previous government committed criminal negligence as now we don’t have more than 2500 megawatt of electricity, which is 1/3 of the electricity required. He said that as minister of water and power he had taken on a huge challenge and the loadshedding is also creating negative impact on the economic.
He said on the directives of PM we have constituted long term, short term and emergency plans on which work on emergency basis has started. Raja Pervez Ashraf told that Prime Minister Gilani has given a target of producing 2200-megawatt electricity this year but we would increase production of electricity by 2528 megawatt during the current year. He said private investors would be provided facilities for electricity production and alternate energy resources would be used as hydropower generation is decreasing 2000 megawatt daily.
He said that we seek the cooperation of people to stand by us and give us time to overcome this crisis and in 3 years loadshedding would be brought to a complete end in Pakistan. He said that no favouritism would be done during load shedding and a load management committee has been constituted at private level, which would sit with traders and shopkeepers to set a load shedding schedule.
He said that Pakistan is a symbol of federation and Kalabagh Dam would not be constructed at the cost of Pakistan.
Meanwhile talking to reporters outside the Parliament house Raja Pervez Ashraf said that judges would be restored as per Murree declaration and the concept of countdown is a conspiracy of some vested interest people. He said that the political leaders of govt alliance are in complete conciliation over all matters and the meeting of Pakistan Democratic Alliance Leaders was a routine meeting in which matters related to national issues were discussed.