ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has clarified that the subsidy and relief provided by the Punjab government on electricity is funded entirely by the provincial government’s own resources, with no involvement from the federal government.
Addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet, he emphasised that the relief given by the Punjab government on electricity was financed through the province’s own funds, and the federal government has no role in it.
He pointed out that the Punjab government announced a relief of Rs14 per unit for two months of electricity usage up to 500 units, funded entirely from its own resources. To support this initiative, he said, Rs45 billion have been allocated from the province’s development funds, without any contribution from the federal government. This relief was a gift from the Punjab government to the people of its province.
The prime minister expressed disappointment that negative comments had been made regarding this relief.
He mentioned that a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister incorrectly said that the federal government had provided the relief to Punjab.
He said that the Punjab government supported its people, and others should follow suit. The premier asked authorities to avoid distorting the facts for political gains.
He further noted that inflation is currently at its lowest level in three years, having dropped from 38 per cent to 11.5 per cent.
“A staff-level agreement has also been reached with the IMF,” he said stressing the importance of working tirelessly to meet revenue and tax targets, as well as reducing losses in the power sector.
He concluded by stating that his government would work closely with the IMF and make decisions in the best interest of the country, avoiding the reckless decisions made by the previous PTI government, which had damaged Pakistan’s reputation and brought it to the brink of default.
The prime minister highlighted that the federal government had previously announced a three-month relief package for domestic consumers by cutting Rs50 billion from the public sector development budget, benefiting 86 per cent of Pakistan’s domestic consumers.
He also mentioned plans to distribute 28,000 solar panels worth Rs55 billion, with the federal government allocating this amount to help reduce electricity theft.