LAHORE, June 18: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has refused to hold talks with the federal government on power loadshedding issue as power riots spread across the province on Monday.

“I won’t hold dialogue with Ali Baba and 40 thieves (a reference to Asif Zardari and the PPP cabinet) on loadshedding,” Shahbaz told the media outside the Punjab Assembly.

“I’m risking my life by participating in the power protests and won’t sit idle until the people get their right (electricity),” charged chief minister added.

To a question, he denied the impression that the 18th Amendment authorised the provinces to independently execute power-generation projects.

“The amendment did not confer any additional powers on provinces vis-à-vis power generation,” he claimed.

Terming the intense public reaction to the prolonged loadshedding natural, he said that he was siding with ‘deprivations of the masses’ and had set up his tent office to highlight frustration and desperation of the people with regard to power crisis.

He reiterated his pledge to continue holding official meetings at the tent office until the federal government ensured uniform loadshedding across the country.

Expressing sympathy for the families of those losing lives in power protests on Monday, the chief minister again appealed to the protesters to avoid violence during the agitation.

“The fact remains that violence and vandalism is no solution to our problems. Those indulging in violence and vandalism are the elements who want to sabotage the protests.”