ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday approved a mega project to solarize tube wells in Balo­chis­tan to provide uninterrupted electricity and overcome power sector losses.

The project was approved at a meeting chaired by the prime minister. The meeting was attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani and federal and provincial ministers.

The solarization of tube wells would not only provide uninterrupted power supply to farmers, but also help overcome losses in power transmission.

The prime minister directed the Power Division and provincial government to present a comprehensive strategy to accomplish the project.

Moreover, he also called for defining the timelines for the execution of the plan.

The meeting was told that despite provision of subsidy worth billions of rupees for tube wells by the government, the farmers in the province still faced difficulties which also increased the circular debt. But the losses to the power sector were borne by the whole country, he added.

Therefore, the prime minister called for early resolution of the matter as judicious use of the subsidy was the government’s priority.

Health coverage in KP

The prime minister lauded the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for providing health coverage to every resident of the province. Under the programme, 40 million citizens will get Rs1 million each as health coverage and they can get medical treatment from any public and private hospital in the country.

In his tweet, the prime minister said: “Congratula­tions to KP government for making KP first province in Pakistan with Universal Health Coverage for all KP-domiciled citizens.”

According to the PM’s tweet, around 40,000,000 residents are covered with free health insurance and there is free treatment of up to Rs1,000,000 per family per year in over 400 government/private hospitals across Pakistan.

Meetings with COAS, Pervez Elahi

Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on PM Khan in Islamabad on Monday.

Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hamid was also present during the meeting.

Matters pertaining to internal and external security were discussed during the meeting, an official press release issued by the PM Office said.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi also called on the prime minister and invited him to inaugurate the newly constructed building of the Punjab Assembly.

The prime minister inquired about the health of PML-Q’s ailing president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2021