Pakistan PM inaugurates first unit of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park
Nawaz Sharif says the pilot project will generate 100 megawatt electricity
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says the government is giving priority to overcome energy crisis and purge the country of terrorism and armed militias.
He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Pakistan's first ever 100-megawatt solar powered plant in the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Park Bahawalpur on Tuesday (05)
Nawaz Sharif said several mega projects in the power sector have been launched which will help overcome power outages from the country by 2017-18.
He said two thousand megawatt of electricity will be generated from the local coal of Thar while 3600 megawatt of electricity will be generated through LNG. He said Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park whose generation will be enhanced up to 900 megawatt will be the world's biggest solar park.
Terming the 46 billion dollars of Chinese investment in Pakistan as unprecedented, the Prime Minister said all the projects with the Chinese cooperation will be completed on time. He said Pakistan and China will establish a special committee in order to ensure fast track completion of these projects.
About the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister said the temporarily displaced persons have started returning to their homes in Waziristan after improvement of situation there. This is a great achievement and our armed forces deserve appreciation. He said peace is being revived as a result of consensus decision of the political and military leadership.
On the Karachi situation, Nawaz Sharif said situation has improved in the provincial metropolis. Kidnapping for ransom and extortion have almost been eliminated. He said the provincial capital will again be made the city of lights. However, he emphasized the need for improving political situation in the city.
Our Bahwalpur correspondent Sajjad Parvez reports that the prime minister on the occasion announced twenty million rupees reward for the workers of Quaid-e-Azam solar park.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said China provided two billion rupees concession on the project. He said the project will start generating another 350 MW electricity from December this year and on completion Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park will be the biggest solar power project in the world.
Shahbaz Sharif announced to set up an industrial estate in Bahawalpur.
Acting Governor Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong were also present on the occasion besides a number of Federal and provincial ministers.
Earlier, the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed upon his arrival as dancers presented beautiful traditional dance of the area while two renowned folk singers of the area also entertained the gathering with their melodious voices.
