PML-N govt installed landmines in energy sector, criticises Omar Ayub

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power Omar Ayub said on Saturday that those released on production orders were remained absent from important sessions of the National Assembly, ARY News reported.

Omar Ayub, while talking to journalists, strongly criticised absence of the Members of National Assembly (MNAs) from NA sessions.

The minister said, “I want to tell you the reasons behind a hike in electricity prices.”

“Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government had installed landmines in energy sector [during its tenure],” he slammed.

He claimed that domestic consumers up to 75 per cent will not bear additional burden over using 300 units, whereas, the financial load will be increased on 50 per cent consumers who are using above 300 units.

“The government is giving subsidy of Rs217 billion to 75 pc consumers besides provision of relief to 54 pc of tube well consumers and no increase is made for 95 pc of commercial sector.”

Read More: Agriculture tubewells in Balochistan to be exempted from power outage: Omar Ayub

Ayub said that the loadshedding rate is zero on 80 pc of power feeders. He added that the energy ministry is working under special directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Earlier on June 19, Omar Ayub Khan had heavily criticised the past two governments for what he termed “ruining country’s economy”.

Responding to Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif’s speech in National Assembly, the minister maintained that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have no right to criticise the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for the current economic crisis as both acquired International Monetary Fund (IMF) programs several times in the past resulting in ruining the country’s economy.

“I am forced to put all these facts before the house lest PML-N takes credit for presenting the ideology of Pakistan,” quipped Omar Ayub adding that the past two governments took Rs240000billion in loans brought the country’s current account deficit to $20billion.

He added that due to the heavy loans acquired by past governments, currently, the present government has to pay Rs3000billion as interest only.

“To come out of this mess, this government has reduced its expenditure by Rs50billion and God willing, it is this government which will bring the country out of this crisis under the visionary leadership of Imran Khan,” said Omar Ayub.