PTI plans to expose PML-N’s ‘irregularities’ in power projects

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has planed to expose Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s mismanagement and irregularities in different power projects, especially Nandipur Power Project, in the long march. For the purpose, the party has started collecting details of all power projects and energy centers as well as policies of the PML-N government regarding generation and distribution of electricity from the national grid to exclusive areas, especially residences-cum-camp offices of the prime minister and chief minister in the cities of Lahore, Murree and Islamabad.

According to party sources, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has directed Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed to get details of all power projects run by the PML-N government, especially the Nandipur Power Project that has been damaged by using wrong fuel.

The sources also said that Imran Khan had given a special task to Rasheed to collect each and every detail about the projects as these details could be highlighted in the PTI’s long march against wrongdoings of the PML-N government. Pertinent to mention here that Rasheed has already highlighted the issue of development of a malfunction in the Nandipur Power Plant, saying that the machinery of the plant had been destroyed by using diesel instead of furnace oil. Terming the development of malfunction a “negligence” of the government, Rasheed also demanded an inquiry into it.

The sources informed Daily Times that Imran Khan has tasked Rasheed with exposing the government’s failure in overcoming electricity outages besides exposing its slogans like ‘good-governance’ and ‘sincere efforts to bring outages to an end’. The sources also said that Imran Khan took this point seriously and asked Rasheed to work on all power plants run by the government and point out mismanagement in their operations.

They said that Rasheed has started working on Imran’s guidelines by constituting a personal team. Rasheed is also consulting energy sector experts besides collecting data from PEPCO and Ministry of Water and Power about resources, generation, and distribution of electricity. Details of tariff and taxes in electricity bills as well as details of privileged areas and personalities are being collected.

The sources also said that the PTI had come to know that Jati Umra – a locality near Raiwind where residences of the prime minister and the chief minister are situated – was also exempt from outages. They said that report on Nandipur and other power projects would be prepared within next two weeks.