ISLAMABAD: The government has convened a meeting of the Council of Common Interests on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will preside over the meeting which has a one-point agenda – the new energy policy.

The chief ministers of the provinces, who are members of the CCI, are expected to give their opinion on the policy and suggest ways of improving electricity generation and overcoming loadshedding.

The new policy is understood to have recommendations for reforming the power sector which over the years has virtually touched the rock bottom and plunged large areas in the country into darkness.

According to an official of the prime minister’s office, the four chief ministers have confirmed their participation in the meeting.

After its approval by the council, the energy policy will be forwarded to the federal cabinet which is likely to meet on July 25.

PM’s address to nation

Meanwhile, the prime minister plans to address the nation in a few days.

Although more than one government source confirmed the prime minister’s decision of sharing priorities of his government with the nation, they were uncertain about the day the speech would be made.

“It can be Monday or some other day, but it will take place in the next few days,” said a senior official of the PM’s office.

Soon after his election as prime minister on June 5, Mr Sharif had said in the National Assembly that he would soon address the nation to share his government’s vision with them.

A government source said that Mr Sharif’s speech would be mainly deal with the new energy policy on which he and a team of energy experts had been working even before the general elections.

The official said the speech would also be touching other issues of national importance such as a new national security policy.

The government has also announced to convene an all-party conference to seek the opinion from other political leaders and give a final shape to the security policy.

Over the past couple of weeks, the prime minister has been visiting important government offices and departments, including the ISI headquarters and ministries of interior and foreign affairs.

The official of the PM’s office said that in his speech the prime minister would shed light on how the government intended to address various issues concerning the foreign policy, national security, energy crisis and development projects he would be undertaking in the coming years.

The prime minister will also share with the nation the country’s economic woes which had forced his government to go to the International Monitory Fund to boost foreign exchange reserves.