GWADAR: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Friday said that having increased oil prices again with a heavy heart, the government believed that any more burden on the poor masses would be unjust and it was a time for the elite class to sacrifice.
“I have called a meeting tomorrow… The billionaire elite should come forward and sacrifice for the poor masses and provide their resources through austerity… This will start from me, ministers, advisors, federal and provincial secretaries, and government officers,” the prime minister said.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Eastbay Expressway and the groundbreaking of seven more development projects for Gwadar, he said the elite would have to play their part in that noble cause.
“This is their duty. I will ensure that they shower their resources for the poor and bear strict measures,” he remarked.
A component of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the 6-lane Eastbay Expressway would connect the Gwadar Port with the Makran Coastal Highway, also providing a link to Karachi.
The prime minister told the gathering that the government tried to avert the burden of oil price hike but it was done with a heavy heart as 90% of the country’s needs were met through imported oil.
He said perceiving the success of the vote of no confidence against it, the previous government reduced the oil prices to trap the incumbent government.
He questioned how the government could provide subsidy on imported oil through loans.
The prime minister said that the government had announced a relief package of Rs2,000 each family under Benazir Income Support Program(BISP) to mitigate the impact of the oil price hike.
The prime minister, who earlier unveiled the plaques for projects, expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work.
The prime minister broke ground for Gwadar Seawater Desalination Plant by China Aid, Jingtal Gwadar Private Limited, Hangmei Lubricant Plant, Hangeng Agricultural Industrial Park, Gwadar Expo Center, distribution of 3,000 solar panels, and Gwadar Fertilizer Plant.
He also took an overview of the development projects including the under-construction Gwadar Airport which was being built under a Chinese grant and faced a delay in completion.
He said the Eastbay Expressway would also provide a link to Karachi to ease the transportation of goods.
He said a desalination plant would be installed and a hospital has been built for the people of Gwadar, and 3,200 solar panels would be distributed among the families in Gwadar.
He said instead of wasting billions on the water reservoirs, a desalination plant should have been installed to cope with the water needs of Gwadar.
The prime minister said in order to avoid any more delay in the projects, he had directed to strictly follow the timelines.
He assured that due to the silting, the depth of Gwadar seaport was reduced and instructed for the dredging to allow the traffic of heavy ships.
He suggested a G2G model for the installation of the desalination plant and called for initiating talks with the Chinese side without any delay.
Proposing a model to address the issue of power supply to Gwadar, he said the government should award a contract to any private company to provide solar panels to the households and bank loans should be arranged for them to pay back.
Proposing a second model, the prime minister said a solar plant of 100-150 megawatt should be installed in Gwadar to provide an off-grid power supply to the people who would be paying the company as electricity bill.
Shehbaz Sharif also announced that in the first phase, the federal government would provide 2,000 boat engines to the fishermen through balloting.
He announced that the federal government would allocate funds for the establishment of a university in Gwadar to ensure its timely completion.
The prime minister said the federal government would enroll another 500,000 poor people as beneficiaries of the BISP, with 100% cover for the poor people of Gwadar.
