LAHORE: Information Minister Azma Bokhari has asked the Sindh government to follow Punjab in providing relief to the people in electricity bills and to stop criticising the Maryam Nawaz government in this regard.

“Instead of worrying about the Punjab government’s decision to provide relief to the public in their electricity bills, the Sindh government should follow suit. It should not envy; instead, it should have the courage to provide relief to the people of Sindh,” Ms Bokhari said here on Monday.

She said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had provided relief to the people from the province’s funds.

“It is disheartening that a party claiming to be a party of the people is issuing statements against public relief,” she said in response to Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani’s criticism of the Punjab government for allocating Rs45bn from different development schemes for Rs14 per unit electricity relief to consumers using up to 500 units. Mr Ghani called the relief a ‘political stunt’ on which billions of rupees were being spent on advertisement campaigns.

“The CM of Punjab cares about the people of her province. It is surprising to see pointless politics over a public relief initiative. Maryam Nawaz always speaks for the people,” she said.

Ms Bokhari said ministers and spokespersons of the PPP, claiming to be of the people, had been issuing statements against public relief. “If you claim to represent the people, why are you hesitant to provide relief during difficult times? Do you have the courage to give relief to the people of Sindh too; do not follow the line of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf,” the minister advised the PPP.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2024