Energy road show will solve energy crisis in Punjab:Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has welcomed the successful conduct of energy road show by Turkish companies in Istanbul and said that this energy road show would prove to be helpful in solving energy crisis in Punjab. He said Punjab government is taking effective steps to meet electricity shortage by implementing a concrete strategy, under which power would be generated through traditional as well as alternative methods. He said a great deal of headway has been made in the negotiations with world-renowned companies of other countries, while 22 Turkish companies have expressed their interest in investment in energy sector in Punjab.

He was presiding over a briefing meeting held on the conduct of energy road show in Turkey, here today. Member National Assembly, Ahsan Iqbal, Members Provincial Assembly, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Kh. Ahmed Hasaan, secretaries of Finance, Energy and Mines besides high-ups of the concerned departments were present. The Chief Minister was given a detailed briefing by the delegation which participated in energy road show at Istanbul. Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said that friendly relations between Turkey and Punjab have been transformed into financial collaboration. He said Turkish companies would be provided all kind of facilities in Punjab and their representatives would pay a visit to Punjab in near future. He said Punjab has 540 million tons coal reserves, whereas it has the capacity to generate electricity through water and solar means. He said Turkish companies have expressed interest in generating energy through coal in Punjab. He directed that progress should be made in this direction without wasting any time whereas work on the installation of two plants of generation of 50 megawatt electricity each with coal should be started immediately. He said Punjab government itself would make investment in these plants. He said foundation stone of these two projects would soon be laid. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif directed that international tendering for these energy projects should be made in a transparent manner. The meeting was informed that, in the next phase, Turkish companies are holding a road show in collaboration with the federal government at Ankara on 22nd November, upon which, the Chief Minister said that energy crisis is not the problem of any single province, but of the whole country. He said we are all Pakistanis and we must benefit from this opportunity, therefore a delegation of Punjab government should also participate in the proposed energy road show. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that Turkish political leadership, especially President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Mayor Kadir Topbas are taking personal interest in increasing cooperation with Punjab, not only in energy but in other sectors as well. He said during the energy road show, the Turkish Minister for Energy and Natural Resources assured the Punjab government of all out cooperation in energy sector.

During the meeting, Member National Assembly Ahsan Iqbal informed that Turkish Energy Minister and the chief executive officers of Turkish companies participating in the energy road show expressed their good wishes for Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and assured vigorous cooperation to the Punjab government in overcoming energy crisis. The representatives of Turkish companies maintained that instead of Istanbul and Ankara, they feel greater joy, ease and satisfaction in doing business in Punjab. They said they appreciate the personal efforts of Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to eradicate corruption and promote good governance in Punjab. Ahsan Iqbal said that an encouraging feedback has been received by the Punjab government from the Turkish companies during the energy road show.