Imran trying to stop foreign investment: minister

State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali. -File photo
State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali. -File photo

FAISALABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has been trying to stop foreign investment in Pakistan, fearing if Nawaz Sharif delivered people would forget him (Mr Khan).

State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said this while talking to reporters at the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) headquarters after attending an energy-related meeting here on Saturday.

He claimed foreigners had started investment in Pakistan and the national economy had started to take off. However, he said, Mr Khan and his aides did not want a prosperous Pakistan.

He said Khan had started leveling allegations of rigging in the last general elections against the former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and a news channel that was already in hot water.

About massive rigging allegations, he said result of each constituency had signatures of PTI polling agents and nobody could change them.

The state minister suggested Imran Khan should resolve issues of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa masses instead of leveling such allegations to win sympathy.

“Now someone will sue Khan in the court asking him to prove the allegations he has been leveling,” the minister said.

Earlier, at the meeting, Abid Sher Ali said strict action would be taken against the Fesco employees found involved in power pilferage.

He said Fesco had 32 feeders that showed more than 20pc losses and directives had been issued for two to three hours extra loadshedding from these feeders.

He said the anti-pilferage campaign launched thoughout out the country had brought improvement in Hesco, Fesco and Mepco as billions of rupees had been saved by plugging the loopholes in the system.

He said the drive against the defaulting provincial and federal departments recovered Rs3.4 billion during five days.

The minister warned that SDO, EXEN and SE concerned would be held responsible for power theft within their jurisdiction.

He said three different agencies were working to trace power pilferers, adding that efficient employees would get commendation certificates and prizes.

Earlier, Fesco CEO Khurshid Alam briefed the minister and said line losses of his company were only 9.6pc while its recovery was 99.78pc.

He said Punjab government had a liability of Rs1,079 million against the tube-well subsidy it had offered to farmers.

Upon this, the minister said Fesco should deduct the amount from the electricity duty payable to Punjab government.

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