KARACHI: A federal government delegation, led Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, met Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to discuss the energy conservation plan announced by the federal government.
The federal government unveiled its energy conservation plan on Tuesday, which includes closure of all markets and restaurants at 8pm and working from home in all government offices one day a week.
Apart from the defence minister, the delegation also included State Minister Musaddiq Malik and Housing and Works Minister Abdul Wasay.
In the meeting, the defence minister recommended utilising solar energy, saying energy conservation was essential for economic stability.
Government expects to save Rs62 billion annually through the energy conservation plan.
The minister also suggested shifting the 9am-5pm office timings to 8am-4pm to utilise the sunlight.
The Sindh chief minister said they must talk to marriage halls and market associations before deciding on early market closure. He added that they had received the advice to shut restaurants at 10pm, but they could make a final decision only after talking to the restaurants union.
The CM suggested that he and the prime minister should engage with stakeholders on an individual level and reach a consensus to enforce energy conservation measures and soften the economic strain on the country.
State Minister for Petroleum Musaddiq Malik said Pakistan needs to reduce its ever-increasing oil import bill and cater to the country’s Rs380 billion electricity theft to relieve the country’s economic tension.
Earlier this week, Khawaja Asif said the federal government would finalise its energy conservation plan after consultations with the rest of the provinces.
Asif said the country could not afford the current living conditions as it was going through a serious economic situation.
“We need to change our habits if we want to live within our means,” said the defence minister. Asif said that they could save billions of rupees by conserving energy through different sources.
“Austerity will become a part of our nation, which will end the economic problems,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adviser to PM Qamar Zaman Kaira assured Pakistan would not default. He urged the people to accept the government’s policy.
“The biggest issue of Pakistan is the import bill, which is $26 to $28 billion, which keeps increasing. There is no other option for us than to take these steps and the nation will have to cooperate with the government,” said Kaira.
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