BESHAM, July 14: The country is in the midst of a crisis and the situation demands that major political leaders put their heads together, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said during inauguration ceremony of a hydroelectricity project in Besham, Shangla district, on Saturday.

“I once again invite all political parties to come and sit together to reach a consensus on national issues and to find a workable solution to the persisting crisis,” he said, adding that there was no danger of confrontation between parliament and the judiciary.

The prime minister said elections would be held on schedule and “hawks will fail in their design” to topple the PPP-led government before expiry of its term.

“I do not have differences with any opposition party and all should make collective efforts for holding free and fair elections,” Raja Ashraf said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masood Kausar, Chief Minister Amir Haidar Khan Hoti and the federal minister for water and power, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, also attended the function.

Khan Khwar dam: The prime minister said the new project, the Khan Khwar dam, would help reduce power cuts as by adding 72 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.

He said work on other hydropower projects — Dabair Khwar, Allai Khwar and Jinnah projects — would be completed soon.

The Sindh government was working on Thar coal power project on a war footing while work on Neelum-Jhelum project would begin soon, the prime minister said.

He recalled the late prime minister Benazir Bhutto had brought foreign investment in the energy sector in 1993, but a “ruthless propaganda” against the independent power producers drove them away.

The prime minister held the Musharraf government responsible for the energy crisis, saying that Pervez Musharraf and his team had done nothing to augment power generation.

Raja Ashraf said the government had delegated powers to provinces to start mega power projects after the 18th Amendment.

“Credit goes to the PPP and its allies for restoring the Constitution in its original shape.”

The prime minister announced the establishment of a grid station in Besham and a cadet college and passport office for the area.