ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) formed a committee for ensuring uniform loadshedding across the country during its meeting held here under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Wednesday.
The decision was taken after Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif voiced strong protest over the government's failure to adopt uniform loadshedding across the country.
Provincial chief ministers, federal and provincial ministers among others also attended the meeting.
At the outset of the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif registered strong protest over inaction on the government's decision to exercise uniform loadshedding across the country. "What other choice do I have except joining the people protesting against the worst loadshedding?" he asked.
The Prime Minister wondered how Shahbaz Sharif, being part of the government, could join the protest. He said there was no mechanism in place to measure the amount of loadshedding being carried out in every part of the country.
He advised the Punjab Chief Minister to wrap up his camp office and begin discharging his official responsibilities from government provided premises for the purpose.
However, Shahbaz Sharif's protest did make a difference as it compelled the government to hold consultations over the issue with four chief ministers and federal representatives of provinces. Resultantly, a committee was formed under Minister for Water and Power to prepare a mechanism for uniform loadshedding in the country.
Federal secretary of Ministry of Water and Power, chief secretaries of the four provinces and other officials will be the members of the committee which will prepare a mechanism for uniform loadshedding and present it before ECC in its next meeting.