KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani criticized Punjab’s recent relief on electricity bills, calling it a temporary and political move.
The Punjab government announced a Rs14 per unit reduction in electricity bills for August and September for those consuming up to 500 units.
Ghani argued that it is the federal government’s responsibility to provide affordable electricity nationwide and questioned the effectiveness of the temporary relief, suggesting that the funds used could have been better spent on more sustainable solutions.
He expressed concern over what will happen after the two-month relief period ends, as consumers will return to paying higher prices.
The minister’s comments were in response to a press conference by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, who announced the relief package.
The move has been met with criticism from other provinces, with political parties like PPP, PTI, and MQM-P accusing Punjab of using provincial politics in electricity matters.
Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori urged Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to provide similar relief in Sindh, warning that failure to do so could lead to public discontent.
On another note, Ghani addressed the controversy over rain measurements in Sukkur. He stated that the Sindh government’s method of measuring rainfall differs from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
While the PMD reported lower figures, the Sindh administration recorded 290mm of rain in a single day in Sukkur, marking it as record-breaking.