Nation should expect voting in new govt by Nov 10: PML-N

Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir on Friday said Pakistanis should be expectant of voting in a new government by November 10, affirming that 2023 was an election year. He made these remarks during an interview with a private TV channel when asked whether this was an election year. “Yes this is. I fully expect and hope that even if the prime minister chooses to dissolve the [National] Assembly a day or two before – the maximum we can go up to is Nov 10 – the people of Pakistan should be fully expectant of voting in their new government on or before Nov 10,” the minister said. In reply to a preceding question, he mentioned that the Parliament would dissolve by itself on August 12. The energy minister’s statement is the clearest indication of a firm timeline for the elections coming from a member of the ruling PML-N yet. Meanwhile, Khurram Dastgir Khan said that government will earmark Rs.171 billion as Tariff Differential Subsidy (TDS) in new financial year to provide relief to citizens of Karachi. The minister while addressing a press conference here said that consumers of K-Electric would get a significant relief in electricity tariff under the TDS, a targeted subsidy aimed at providing protection to masses against increasing cost of electricity generation. Moreover, Rs.151 billion were allocated in the budget 2023-24 for other parts of the country including Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and merged ex-FATA districts, he informed adding that IMF conditionalities would not affect TDS as it was a targeted subsidy. The minister while spelling out strategy for dealing with any potential emergency situation due to cyclonic storm Biparjoy sated that on directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a comprehensive strategy was formulated at national level for ensuring safety of people and supply of electricity in vulnerable areas. Under the national endeavour, over 2000 personnel from different power distribution companies including GEPCO, LESCO, MEPCO and SEPCO were deployed in Southeastern districts of Sindh on emergency basis along with vehicles and necessary equipment, he informed. Sindh government has extended the fullest cooperation in the regard and a close coordination was being maintained among all the stakeholders while technical teams deployed at generation plants and grid stations were on high alert for ensuring electricity supply, the minister said. The cyclone has landed and its severity has been decreasing gradually while supply of electricity was continue as per routine in the most of the areas, Khurram Dastgir said adding that there was no load shedding for 70 percent domestic consumers and industry at the moment. The cyclonic storm Biparjoy did not affect power supply in Karachi except a disruption for four hours that was caused due to issues in supply of LNG to power generation units, he informed and added, but the issues was immediately addressed by provision of 100 mmcfd gas from the national network. The minister said that K-E has informed that several measures were taken for safety of citizens which included raising the transformers above the ground, strengthening electricity polls and removing bunches of tangled wires for preventing accidents and loss of lives. The minister while responding to a question said that KE claimed that 70 % areas of the metropolis were receiving round the clock power supply while load management was being carried out in 30% areas due to issues of low recovery and high line losses. He said that ministry was devising a policy of micro load management at the level of transformers for plummeting the suffering of bill paying consumers. All the stakeholders including the elected representatives have to sit together for resolving the issue as getting free electricity was unlikely, he urged. On another query about handing over control of power distribution companies to provinces Khurram Dastgir said that it was not a concept of privatisation but it was ‘provincialisation’ of power distribution networks. The matter would be presented in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and after principal decision of the council asset assessment of the Discos and further process would be carried out, he said. On another query, the minister clarified that government possessed 24% shares in K-Electric and appoint directors in the board proportionally. Government neither sold its shares in K Electric nor it purchased more shares from any shareholder, he added. Protection of consumers’ rights and interests was our topmost priority and reorganisation of K Electric would be done in a transparent and clear manner, he said adding that a committee, led by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, was working to settle the issues between KE, SSGC and government and 90% reconciliation has been achieved so far.