LAHORE: In a significant move aimed at providing financial relief to the people of Punjab, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has announced a reduction in electricity prices.
Addressing a news conference alongside Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday, he revealed that the Punjab government would provide a relief of Rs 14 per unit for electricity bills up to 500 units for the months of August and September.
The decision, according to Nawaz, comes after careful reduction of expenditures across various sectors, allowing the government to allocate Rs 45 billion towards this relief effort. The move is expected to ease the financial burden on citizens during these hard months. He highlighted that this is not the first relief effort from the government. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced similar support for consumers using up to 200 units of electricity per month.
Nawaz Sharif emphasised that the Punjab government’s actions demonstrate the deep concern of his party, the prime minister, and the chief minister for the lives of ordinary citizens. He also mentioned another significant project introduced by the chief minister, which involves providing solar panels to people in need. The project, with an estimated budget of Rs 700 billion, aims to bring comfort to poor, lower-middle, and middle-class citizens.
He expressed his hope that these measures would alleviate the financial strain on the common people and praised both the PM and the CM for their commitment to the welfare of citizens.
He called on other provinces to follow Punjab’s example and take similar steps to improve the lives of their people. He also reflected on the government’s ongoing efforts over the past six to seven months to provide relief to the public.
Reflecting on past political challenges, Nawaz Sharif lamented that Pakistan’s progress had been repeatedly disrupted by conspiracies against him. He recalled how his government had successfully managed the economy, reducing interest rates to 5.25 per cent and maintaining a stable dollar rate. He questioned who was responsible for the current economic challenges, including the high interest rates and the return of the IMF. He especially named the PTI chief for this situation and financial crunch facing by the country.
Nawaz Sharif concluded by vowing to stay connected with the people and continue working towards the betterment of the country.
