Sit-ins aimed to prevent cheap electricity: Kh Asif

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif said on Friday that the dharnas/sit-ins aimed to prevent cheaper electricity and that billions of dollars in losses was inflicted to the country in order to politically damage the government.

Addressing a press conference here today, the federal minister said NEPRA has rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf request related to the tariff as the application stated wrong statistics.

He further said the government provides 100% subsidy on electricity produced through oil.

Khawaj Asif alleged that opposition protests tried to prevent 10,000 MW power projects. He said that during the past, the government did not increase the electricity tariff. People only complained in the month of July and in the later months, there were no such complaints.

He added that power plants in India are mostly manufactured locally while Pakistan has to import them. The government did not take any loan for the power plant and that only the companies would pay off the loans.

The minister brushed off the allegations regarding setting up fake companies to pay off loans and told that the companies would be presented before the media once the contracts will be signed.