GUJRANWALA, Oct 15 (ABC): Federal Minister for Power Khurrum Dastgir said on Saturday the command and control system of Pakistan was safe as international agencies had already acknowledged it. Addressing a press conference at Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) office, he said the statement of US President Joe Biden about Pakistan was baseless.
He said that by-elections in the country being held tomorrow would be free and transparent. He said Islamabad High Court exonerated PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz by declaring the decisions of other courts void and now she was free from all allegations. Khurram Dastgir said that people perturbed over public meetings of Imran Khan. He said the political challenges were temporary for the incumbent government. He said that electricity rate had started to come down.
The Minister said that efforts were made to divide Gujranwala administratively on political bases, adding the decision would be reverted once the PML-N government come into power in Punjab. He said that transmission lines were tripped near Karachi the other day, due to which, south part of the country was affected, however the energy department had rectified the fault and now there was no breakdown in the country. However, inquiry report in this regard would come on Monday after third party validation, he added. Khurram Dastgir said that north part of the country was saved from blackout, due to CPEC projects.
This month, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) fixed 19 paisa per unit in the head of fuel price adjustment, while it was Rs 9.79 per unit in June last. The policy of fixed charge was being reviewed, he added. The Minister said that 990 megawatt electricity was being generated from Thar Coal in the country which would be increased to 1320 megawatt by next year.