MITHI: Major-General Ahsan Gulrez, general officer commanding of the newly raised Special Security Division for providing security to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has said the hands trying to create disturbances in the CPEC projects, including Thar coalfield, will be crushed.

The major-general said after visiting coalmines being operated by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) that the huge coal reserves were a great asset of Pakistan and all required arrangements had already been made to provide foolproof security to all people associated with it.

He said the armed forces were fully committed and prepared to protect the country’s borders as well as its precious assets and lauded the mining company for completing the extraction work much before the scheduled time.

He also met women dumper drivers and other workers during his visit.

SECMC chief operating officer Syed Abul Fazal Rizvi said while briefing Mr Ahsan about the company’s progress so far that the company planned to rapidly expand the mine in Block-II to reach its optimum capacity to produce 5,000MW by 2024 which would drastically reduce the price for producing power with a power tariff of approximately five US cents per kWH.

He said that fully-fledged coal supply would start from third quarter of 2018 and the first electron would be generated from the EPTL power plant in December this year.

He said that they had completed 16 million safe man-hours while removing 90 million cubic meters of overburden (earth) five months ahead of schedule, targeting a saving of US$110 million.

He said that they were all enthusiastic to realise their slogan “Thar will change Pakistan”.

He reiterated the commitment to continue serving the energy sector of Pakistan and specially the people of Thar.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018