BATTAGRAM: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday termed the recent US drone attack in Balochistan a clear violation of Pakistan’s autonomy and detrimental to the Pak-US relationship, saying it was the result of failed foreign policy of Nawaz Sharif government.
The PTI chief said this at the inaugural ceremony of three micro hydel power projects of 305 kilowatts at Shamlai union council of Battagram district here. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Energy and Power Mohammad Atif Khan was also present on this occasion.
He said that wars could not be won through drone attacks, adding if it was like this then America would have won this war so far.
About Panama leaks, he said that Mr Sharif had no justification to cling to the prime minister’s office as his name among eight heads of state was included in the Panama Papers. He said that Mr Sharif had kept mum over the allegations levelled against him and his family so far.
Inaugurates three micro power projects in Battagram
He alleged that those politicians who were supporting Mr Sharif in hiding his corruption had been bought.
Earlier, minister Atif Khan along with the PTI chairman formally inaugurated 305kW three hydel projects, including 200kW Bela Bala, 75kW Shagai and 30kW Beesa Khait.
The ceremony beside others was also attended by energy and power secretary Naeem Khan, PEDO Board chairman Shakil Durrani, Battagram district nazim Attaur Rahman and notables of the area in a large number.
The upgradation of a local high school to higher secondary school and construction of a sports stadium in Shamlai was also announced.
The PTI chief said on this occasion that work on 356 micro hydel projects costing Rs5.524 billion in 12 different districts of the province was underway with the community partnership. He said that of these projects 37 had been constructed while the remaining would be completed by end of 2017.
He said that the number of such hydel projects would be enhanced to 1,000 with the support of the Asian Development Bank to overcome the shortage of electricity. He said that a new power policy 2016 had been approved for making full utilisation of hydel power in the larger interest of the province and its people.
Provincial minister Atif Khan said on the occasion that presently work on six power projects of 214MW was in progress of which three projects would start generation of 56MW electricity this year which would be provided to industrial estates for economic growth and eradication of poverty and unemployment in the province.
In order to attract domestic as well as foreign investment in the province, six hydel power projects in private sector had already been advertised, he said.
The minister asserted that PEDO had also a plan of solar panels installation in 5,650 houses and provision of solar power to 200 villages of the province. He said that poverty and unemployment was the basic issue of the province and it could not be resolved without industrialisation.
Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2016
