Technical Committee to discuss JI demands: Tarar

RAWALPINDI (APP): Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture, Attaullah Tarar here on Sunday said that the demands of Jamaat-e-Islami would be discussed with the technical committee.

Talking to media persons after talks with Jamaat-e-Islami delegation at Commissioner Office, the information minister said that the government was making all-out efforts to provide relief to the people and in this regard, it was making earnest efforts to attract foreign investment which would help generate employment.

“The government is trying to convince the foreign investors that cost of production is very low in Pakistan, so factories should be established here which would help end unemployment,” he said.

“Fluctuations in exchange rates were controlled and stabilized. We succeeded in bringing the country out of economic default situation,” he said adding that the government’s solid steps would help enhance exports and control the inflation. The government was focusing on improving the investment climate, he said and added, if petroleum prices remain stable in international market then we would be able to provide relief to the people in the rates of petroleum products.

Regarding the sit-in by Jamat e Islami in Rawalpindi, he said the location of Liaquat Bagh was fixed, adding that the people were facing difficulties due to road closure. The minister informed that a technical committee comprising Minister of Power, Secretary Power, FBR and Finance Ministry representatives, had been formed which would hold next round of talks with the representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami. “We will make efforts to resolve the issue amicably tomorrow,” he informed.

Giving details of steps being taken by the government regarding solarization, the minister said that the Prime Minister had already launched the Solar Tube Wells project under which 38,000 solar tube wells were being installed in Balochistan. Steps are being taken to shift the tube wells on solar energy through bank financing mechanism in collaboration with the governments of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added.

The information minister said that the government was taking all possible measures to reduce the electricity tariff by generating economic and quality electricity.

He said that Rs. 50 billion subsidy was already given to electricity consumers using up to 200 units. “The government is also starting various solar projects replacing fuel powered plants” he said and added that installation of solar tube wells would reduce electricity consumption.

Tarar said that no change had been made in the government’s negotiation team. He informed that the Minister for Power, Awais Leghari was in China.

The government’s team will sit and hold talks with the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami which had some issues particularly related to electricity.

“We talked to the delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami in a pleasant atmosphere, we all want that the inflation could be controlled so that the issue of unemployment can be addressed, electricity can be provided at a cheaper rates,” he said and informed that the technical committee would discuss the issues with the Jamaat-e-Islami and try to address them.

“We are moving towards green renewable energy,” he said.

The minister highlighted that people had been given relief in electricity bills by cutting the development budget.

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Engineer Amir Maqam who was accompanying the information minister during talks with Jamaat-e-Islami said, “We want to reduce the price of electricity to give relief to the people. We respect Jamaat-e-Islami’s desire to provide relief to the people”.

PML-N leader Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on the occasion, said that PM’s personal and heartfelt desire was to provide relief to the people.

Murree Road is the main artery of Rawalpindi and Islamabad which have a population of more than 10 million.

The citizens are facing difficulties due to the road closure, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said and expressed the hope that things would improve in the next round of negotiations with Jamaat-e-Islami.