Monday, May 14, 2012

Point-scoring on load shedding: MQM and PML-Q jump on the bandwagon

Daily Times


Protests against load shedding continued on Monday in various cities of Punjab amidst political wrangling between the Punjab and the federal governments and their allies.

Protests demonstrations were organised in Lahore, Multan and Sahiwal. The Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz leaders led most of the protests.

Last week, the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) announced a power shortfall of 3,500 megawatts. The issue took a political turn on Thursday when Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif joined hands with the protesters on Ferozepur Road. The CM spoke against the federal government and announced to continue protest demonstrations. Other PML-N leaders also arranged and led such demonstrations.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Babar Khan Ghauri claimed that the government lacked a political will to resolve the crisis, adding that the government had a capacity to end load shedding from the country within one hour. Ghauri’s statement astonished the PPP leadership. The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) also blamed the federal government for its failure to resolve the energy crisis. The PML-Q also threatened to withdraw its support for the government.

PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi blamed the Punjab CM for load shedding in Punjab. Elahi, also the federal senior minister, said Shahbaz was responsible for electricity load shedding in the province, as the latter did not endorse the formula suggested by PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to end load shedding in the country.

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