Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday extended the exemption for fuel adjustment charges (FAC) in August’s billing to consumers who use under 300 units of electricity.

The exemption, originally announced on Aug 23, previously applied only to consumers of 200 units of electricity or less.

“This will cover 75 per cent of the consumers across the country,” the premier said of the revised exemption as he addressed a meeting with PML-N lawmakers in Islamabad.

“In the first stage, power users consuming 200 units [or below] were given an exemption and the government was bearing a burden of Rs21 billion [for that]. But it only covered 48pc or 52pc of the users.

“I believe that this [waiver] will matter once we increase it to 300 units,” he said.

PM Shehbaz recalled that when his government came to power, it faced a myriad of problems because of the PTI government. “During Covid, gas across the world was being sold at the price of peanuts.

“But they [the PTI] did not purchase it, neither long-term nor short-term. And then the oil mafia became influential leading to expensive production of electricity in Pakistan,” he claimed.

And when the Ukraine crisis occurred, the prime minister went on, the government had to purchase “extremely expensive” oil and produce electricity from it.

“We lead a life of debt […] we add money to it […] make the electricity cheaper and provide it to the common man,” he said.

“This is the drama that was created in the country. Lies were spilt and we were brought to a never-before-seen stage, whether it was related to the livelihood of people or anything else.”

The premier continued that these were the conditions in which the incumbent government came to power. “Today, even for the FAC adjustment we had to first take permission from the IMF.

“But let me tell you, nations don’t survive this way,” he added.

‘Got a chance to stand on our feet after IMF deal’

Talking about the resumption of the crucial International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, PM Shehbaz said that only after its success was Pakistan able to stand back on its feet.

“I was sitting in a meeting when the minister of finance gave me the news [of the IMF bailout package], so I told him in front of everyone that Pakistan was saved from default,” he said.

But, the prime minister contended, this was not a moment of happiness. “It is not a good thing because Pakistan is taking more debt. But at least we were saved from a default which is what Imran Khan wanted.”

Subsequently, he referred to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jagra’s letter to the finance division, asserting that it had proven the PTI chief’s intention to sabotage the country’s fate.

“A man who gets letters written just so that the IMF programme could fail […] tell me, is there a worse way to show hatred with the country?”

The premier said that he was thankful for the IMF deal but at the same time expressed that Pakistan could not be run the way Imran did in the last 3.5 years.

“And an institution fostered him in a way that has no example in 75 years. The extent to which he was supported […] if a cult has been formed, God will find a way to rectify it.

PM Shehbaz continued that today was the time the nation had to decide between the “truth and false”.

‘Petrol prices are a painful reality’

Meanwhile, the prime minister regretted the recent Rs2.07 increase in petrol prices and called it a “painful reality” that the nation had to face today.

“It was not in our control.”

The PM said that he was up all night yesterday and allowed the increase in the most “human way” possible.

“We calculated everything carefully, and the Rs2 increase is the least increase I could manage,” he said, adding that such were the difficulties that the incumbent government was facing today.

He recalled that this year the government had to purchase oil worth over $20 billion.

“But, despite all of it, I want to tell you that we won’t lose hope,” he promised, calling on the ministers to stay committed during the hard times.

‘Historic floods’

Talking about the catastrophic floods, PM Shehbaz said that he had never seen such a calamity before. “Water has wreaked havoc everywhere from Sukkur to Jaffarabad.”

In Kalam and Swat, he pointed out, buildings had been washed away and all the tourist areas showed a sight of devastation. “But let me tell you that all the teams […] the NDMA and everyone else are working day and night to rehabilitate and rescue the flood affectees.”

Furthermore, he highlighted that all the victims were being given Rs25,000 as compensation via the Benazir Income Support Programme. “And this amount will increase.”

Similarly, a Rs15 billion grant had been given to Sindh, while Rs10 billion had been announced for Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the premier reiterated.

He highlighted that crops had been damaged and houses had been reduced to rubble, saying that the government needed money for rehabilitation.