ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the PML-N government had invested billions of rupees in energy projects which by the end of its tenure would help in reducing loadshedding and making electricity cheaper.

Zero investment in the energy sector from 1999 to 2013 and rising demand resulted in loadshedding stretching up to 18 hours daily, he said.

The prime minister, chairing a meeting held at PM House to review the progress of power projects, said that completion of these projects would ease the shortage along with boosting the economy and generating employment opportunities.

The water and power secretary briefed him on the Neelum-Jhelum and other ongoing power projects. Issues related to transmission lines and load management also came under discussion.

PM Sharif was told that the government’s roadmap of energy power projects was on track and more than 10,000MW of electricity would be added to the national grid within the next two years.

It was resolved in the meeting that all projects would be completed and implemented within the stipulated time with transparency.

Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2016