LAHORE: In a hint that differences are widening between two ruling coalition partners, the PPP-backed Punjab governor has hit out at the PMLN-led government saying some of its members are owners of IPPs and milking the nation, while bribes are being accepted in transfers and postings of officials.

Claiming that 42 of the independent power producing companies are owned by the ruling elite, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider has demanded an audit of the financial matters of all these units.

“IPPs are oppression of the nation. There is so much corruption in them (agreements signed with them) that the digits of the computer may not count it. Of these, 42 are owned by those sitting in the power corridors. All the IPPs, including these 42, must undergo a special audit to unearth corruption in them,” he said, while talking to reporters at Governor House here on Thursday.

“Electricity is cheaper in Bangladesh and Afghanistan than in Pakistan. The nation is suffering from the burden of inflation caused by the costliest electricity (among other factors),” he added.

Alleges kickbacks in postings, transfers; minister opposes capacity payments

He paid tribute to former caretaker federal minister Gohar Ijaz for raising the issue of capacity payment to the IPPs.

Alleging that government officials would have to bribe the right quarters for transfers and postings during the PTI regime, he said that the ‘tradition’ was still in practice.

Flanked by former minister of state Tasneem Qureshi, the governor said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s 18-month period in power was a terrible dream for the PPP. It is the compulsion of the PPP to support the government, he said, otherwise the party is paying a heavy price for becoming an ally of the PML-N.

Since becoming a part of the government with the PML-N, the PPP has not received anything except a cup of tea and a biscuit till date, he said.

“The party has entered into a written agreement with the PML-N twice but each time the latter seems unable to implement the contract.”

The governor regretted that the government seemed incapable of controlling inflation. “It is unable to implement the rates issued by it.”

Mr Khan said the PPP is not in favour of joining the federal or provincial cabinet, though the PML-N offered a number of ministries.

He told a questioner that the position of the PPP on South Punjab province is clear and its members of the Punjab Assembly from South Punjab would definitely raise the issue in the house.

He sought to deny the impression that both the PPP and PML-N are fighting a fixed match. “In fact, we did not want to go to elections immediately after the Feb 8 vote in which no party could win enough seats to form a government on its own. Because each electoral exercise costs a lot to the poor taxpayers.”

About the proposed ban on the PTI, the governor said that personally he was not in favour of banning the party but the way it acted in Bannu, it seemed like the PTI planned another May 9 (when military installations had been attacked across the country).

He lamented that the PTI had resorted to its past practice of propagating fake news as the boy shown as injured in Bannu was, in fact, had been hurt in a Kyrgyzstan incident.

In response to a question, he said that he was not in favour of commercial activities in the Governor House because it’s a historical heritage.

He said that he had planned to switch the Governor House to solar energy to reduce electricity costs and talks were going on with two companies for installing the solar system free of charge.

Capacity charges

Meanwhile, Punjab Industries and Trade Minister Shafay Hussain said independent power producers have earned more than their investments and stressed that there is no need to pay billions of rupees to IPPs in the name of capacity charges.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, Mr Hussain, a PML-Q leader and the sitting government’s ally, said it was highly concerning that some power plants were charging tens of millions of rupees on monthly basis while not producing a single power unit.

“A country facing financial crisis cannot endure the burden of paying payments in the name of capacity charges,” the industries minister stressed that there was a need to review the agreements with the IPPs in the best interest of the masses.

Suggesting the IPPs to shift to solar energy instead of using costly furnace oil, Mr Hussain said the circular debt of the power sector was disastrous for the national economy.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2024