• 19,400 power thieves arrested, 39,800 FIRs registered
• Says Pakistan committed to recently signed agreements with China

ISLAMABAD: A caretaker government is responsible for leaving behind an established system for the coming democratic government, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar emphasised on Wednes­day while chairing a meeting to review the progress of a nationwide campaign to curb power theft.

The prime minister urged the relevant authorities to intensify measures against electricity theft in regions such as Sindh, Quetta, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He also pushed for accelerating the solarisation of agricultural tube wells and sought a detailed report on challenges faced during the anti-power theft initiative in Balochistan.

On the outcomes of the campaign since its launch, the premier was told that the process was going on successfully in collaboration with the provincial governments.

He was informed that a total of 19,415 power thieves had been arrested and 39,836 FIRs had been registered against power theft since September. Besides, around 189 government officials had been suspended over their involvement in electricity theft.

The meeting was told that the campaign remained the most successful in Mardan, where the power theft ratio plummeted from 43 per cent to 13 per cent. Moreover, Rs14 billion was recovered under the campaign until Sept 30.

The prime minister lauded the performance of the energy ministry, power distribution companies and relevant federal and provincial authorities for the progress.

The meeting was also apprised of the outcomes of the countrywide analysis to find out the causes behind power theft.

Caretaker federal ministers for interior, energy and information and broadcasting, provincial chief secretaries and relevant federal secretaries also attended the meeting.

Tourism

During a meeting with his special assistant for tourism, Wasi Shah, the prime minister stressed the need for increasing collaboration between the federal government and provinces to exploit the massive potential of tourism.

Huge opportunities existed in the tourism sector thanks to the country’s serene natural beauty, he said.

China visit

Later, in a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, Mr Kakar said Pakistan was committed to implementing projects agreed with China in diverse sectors.

The premier said the agreements, signed between the two countries during his five-day visit to China that concluded on Oct 20, would add a new chapter to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He emphasised that the people of both countries were benefiting from the multibillion-dollar infrastructure project.

He expressed gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership for the warm welcome and arrangements during his recent visit to China.

“Pakistan will take strong steps to implement the memorandum of understanding and agreements signed during my recent visit to China,” he said.

The Chinese ambassador assured Mr Kakar of China’s full cooperation in the development and economic stability of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, in a follow-up meeting with Planning Minister Sami Saeed, Mr Kakar discussed the implementation of the projects concluded during his China visit.

During that visit, the two sides signed 20 agreements and MoUs, covering cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, infrastructure, mining, industry, green and low-carbon development, health, space cooperation, digital economy, development cooperation and the export of agricultural products to China.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2023