No respite, despite govt. claim of increase in power generation

ISLAMABAD: The government claimed that power generation in the country has increased, but the people insisted that power supply has rather diminished, while the opposition on people’s insistence has also come into action and started taking the government to task on the continued electricity loadshedding even in Ramazan, Geo News reported.

While the government and opposition engaged in blame game on the issue of power crisis, Pakistan People’s party in opposition claimed that despite part-payment of the amount of circular debt, the quantum of power generation hasn’t increased.

Syed Naveed Qamar said that the government claimed power supply would improve with the payment of circular debt, but despite payment made to power sector its supply has further worsened.

On the other hand, the government argued that they had inherited from the PPP government power production at 8,000 megawatt per day. Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that the circular debt during the past government had shot up to Rs500 billion and his government was engaged in solving this issue, which they have inherited.

Federal Minister for water and power, Khawaja Asif said that the balance amount of the circular debt would also be soon paid. He said that the power production as on today has surpassed 15,000 MW per day, which was a record as compared to the near past data and this could only be possible by payment of the circular debt and better management.

But the analyst asked if the power production has improved then who were being supplied to as the people like the past are still on roads protesting, demonstrating against the prolonged unannounced loadshedding even during Iftar, Taraveeh and Sehri.