We launched the Karachi operation and will complete it: PM

Gives credit to DG Rangers, IGP, chief secretary and others but ignores Sindh CM; announces Rs3 cut per unit in power tariff for industrial consumers; asks business community to enhance exports

KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that they had launched the targeted operation in Karachi against terrorists, target killers, kidnappers and other criminals and the operation would not be left incomplete and would be taken to its logical conclusion.

He said that his government had prioritised the elimination of terrorism, and the menace of extremism and terrorism would be completely eradicated from the country.

Eulogising the role of others with regard to the successes achieved in the Karachi operation, he said the present situation in Karachi was much better than three years ago. He gave credit to the Director General of the Sindh Rangers, Inspector General of the Sindh Police, Sindh chief secretary, and the administration for discharging praiseworthy roles for peace in Karachi but did not mention the name of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

He said that the targeted operation in Karachi had been launched in September 2013 with the consensus of all the political forces and quarters concerned. He said that the launching of the targeted operation in Karachi was a difficult decision but despite this his government had taken the decision. He said the law and order situation had normalised in Karachi. He added his government was fully focused on restoring law and order and this mission would not be left unaccomplished.

Meanwhile, the prime minister announced a decrease in the electricity tariff by Rs3 per unit for industrial consumers from January 1, 2016. He stated this while addressing the ceremony of the 39th Export Awards of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) organised here at a local hotel on Monday.

The prime minister also declared on the occasion that his government would further decrease the electricity tariff as power loadshedding would be eliminated from the country by the year 2018.

The PM exhorted the business community to work harder for increasing the exports of the country to strengthen the economy. “Businessmen and investors insist we overcome electricity loadshedding but we are not just overcoming loadshedding but also making electricity cheaper. If electricity becomes cheaper, industrial production will increase, new industries will be established and new employment opportunities will also be created,” he maintained.

He said that the future of Pakistani energy lay with the Thar Coal reserves. He said that Thar Coal would be used for setting up new power plants in the entire country while in Thar alone power plants having a capacity of 3,960MW were being established.

Moreover, he said that work was also in progress for establishing power plants having a capacity of 3,600MW using imported Liquefied Natural Gas. He said that by the year 2018, 10,000MW additional electricity would be available to the national grid while 15,000MW more electricity would be available to the country by the year 2025.

The prime minister said his government would do its best so that loadshedding did not revisit the country. Nawaz Sharif said that electricity shortages, the law and order situation and poor economy were some of the major challenges being faced by his government since its inception. He said that his government had given the foremost priority to the issue of law and order and the second priority to resolve the energy crisis. He said that work was in progress on new energy projects while majority of such power plants would utilise coal for power generation as in this regard energy units were being established both in public and private sectors.

He said his government had been establishing new power generation plants at 40 percent lower cost than the finances reserved for such energy projects in the budget. He said that his government had been giving the foremost priority to ensuring transparency and maintenance of quality in setting up new power plants. The government was able to save Rs100 billion alone in three power projects.

The PM said that two nuclear power plants having generation capacity of 2,200MW were being established in Karachi. Similarly, 4,500MW electricity would be produced through the Diamer Bhasha Dam project, 1,300MW from Tarbela-IV project, 969MW electricity would be produced through the Neelum-Jehlum hydropower project. He said that projects of Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu dams would not only be used for electricity generation but would also be used as water reservoirs.

The PM said that work had been in progress on the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway project while in this regard work would also be launched on proposed sections of the motorway between Hyderabad and Sukkur, Sukkur to Multan, and finally from Multan to Lahore. He said that new highway projects were also being launched in Balochistan.

He said they come to power for five years and for much of the time, problems remain incomprehensible.  Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Commerce Minister Khurrum Dastgir Khan also addressed on the occasion and shed light on economic, trade, and business policies of the federal government.