KARACHI: The Punjab government and the traders’ body All-Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran (APAT) rejected the Centre’s energy conservation plan, whereas the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was undecided about its implementation.

In a statement, senior Pun­jab minister Mian Aslam Iqbal said the provincial government had rejected the federal government’s plan to conserve electricity. “The federal government’s decision is not accepted by the Punjab government,” he said.

In a press release, APAT President Ajmal Baloch said shops and restaurants would not close before 10pm and 11pm, respectively. Conserving energy by putting the brakes on the economy is not a wise decision, he said.

Mr Baloch proposed conserving energy by cutting down on the use of air conditioners and heaters in government buildings and restricting the fuel and power privileges for bureaucrats and government officials.

He said the business community should be provided uninterrupted power supply to keep the economic wheel spinning.

Meanwhile, the KP government’s spokesman, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, said the provincial government was not taken on board when drafting the policy and had not yet decided on implementing the energy conservation plan.

He said the province’s input was also not sought when deciding the timings for closing shops and markets. “The KP government is already taking steps to conserve energy,” he said, adding that steps were also being taken to combat environmental pollution.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023