Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani chairing a meeting on energy shortfall at PM house in Islamabad on Monday. – Online Photo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Monday directed the Ministry of Finance to immediately release the due amount of Pepco for payment to PSO to ensure full supply of fuel to the thermal power plants.

Chairing a special emergency meeting of inter-ministerial committee to review the acute energy shortfall here at the PM House, Gilani directed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to ensure restoration of full supply of fuel to the power plants including Kapco and Hubco.

The Prime minister said the restoration of the fuel supply would help ease electricity shortage in the country by generating additional 2000 MWs to lower the shortfall.

The meeting reviewed the energy conservation measures and the prime minister directed the minister for water and power to take the provincial governments on board to finalise an operational strategy.

The PM also directed the high powered committee headed by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, and comprising Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain, Dr Nadeemul Haq Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and Acting Governor State Bank of Pakistan to submit recommendations at the special cabinet meeting.

This meeting would be convened soon to resolve unscheduled loadshedding in the country.