PTI Flags Concerns over Govt’s Economic Policies

Waqas Terms Minister’s claim of Resolving Power issue “Forever” Laughable

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram has strongly criticised the PML-N-led government for what he called complete failure to address Pakistan’s escalating energy and economic crises, describing the recent press conference by the Power Minister as a tone-deaf exercise filled with false claims and empty excuses that offer no relief to 250 million Pakistanis.

In a statement on Friday, PTI CIS said the Minister’s assertion that PML-N had solved the issue “forever” was laughable in the face of the ongoing crisis. He pointed out that claims of zero daytime load shedding and a maximum of seven hours were blatantly false, with widespread unscheduled outages reported across Lahore, Punjab, Islamabad, Peshawar, and KP, where many feeders face 16 to over 22 hours of power cuts.

Waqas condemned the government’s attempt to market load shedding as a “Peak Hour Relief Strategy,” calling it an insult to citizens already burdened by skyrocketing electricity bills. He further exposed the minister’s lame excuses on low hydropower generation and the extension of load shedding to industry as proof of complete lack of planning.

He highlighted that in just over four years, the PML-N government has increased the average cost of electricity from Rs 15-20 per unit (when Imran Khan left office) to over Rs 60 per unit the most expensive in the region by signing the most costly power projects between 2013-18 that guarantee dollar denominated capacity payments, now being passed on to ordinary Pakistanis. “This government created the problem and has no solution,” he stated, adding that load shedding itself is worsening idle capacity and further inflating capacity payments.

On solar energy, Akram slammed the government’s hypocrisy. “The minister is taking credit for widespread solar adoption that is actually reducing load shedding, yet this same government has spent the last two years waging a war on solar by reversing net-metering terms and hiking taxes. Solar is growing in spite of the government, not because of it,” he said.

He also exposed the government’s double standards on austerity. While Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif preaches belt-tightening to the masses, he has sought relaxation of the federal honourarium policy to allow himself and the President to award unlimited payments to staff in their offices, citing the “unique nature of work.” “This is nothing but monarchical patronage.