Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif marked Pakistan’s Independence Day on Wednesday by announcing he will soon have “good news” to share with the public regarding hefty electricity bills and the country’s overall economic aims.
Unrest has been growing over a consistent and near-monthly hike to electricity bills, aimed at reducing the circular debt of the sector and fulfilling prior conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The situation has triggered small protests nationwide, with the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami recently staging a sit-in in Rawalpindi, demanding the tariffs be reversed and relief ensured for the masses. Taking cognizance of the public concerns, the government last month announced a subsidy for consumers of up to 200 units of electricity per month, though this still leaves over 30 percent of the population footing hefty bills.
“Today, there is inflation. People are worried about electricity bills and other problems. However, if not all is good in the country, not all is bad,” Sharif told an event commemorating Pakistan’s 77th Independence Day. Acknowledging that the prevailing power tariffs were hampering industries’ ability to prosper and shift to exports, he vowed that he would address the nation in a “few days” and unveil a five-year economic plan, as well as policies aimed at reducing electricity bills.
Urging people, especially the youth, to support the government in its efforts to make the country prosperous, stable and peaceful, he stressed the next few years were crucial. “Focus on your studies and attaining skilled-based education, and do not indulge yourself in the negative agenda of the enemy who is out to target you and utilize your capabilities in anti-state activities,” he advised, regretting the “enemy” was trying to sabotage the country’s path to development through “digital terrorism.”
Commemorating the immense sacrifices of Pakistan’s forefathers and the countless unsung heroes of the Pakistan Movement, he recalled that Allama Iqbal had envisioned Pakistan an independent and sovereign state. This was achieved, he said, on Aug. 14, 1947 through the unwavering and steadfast leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and people’s unmatched sacrifices.
Noting the country’s 77-year history was not “exemplary,” he said it had survived economic and social challenges, as well as natural disasters, because of the resilience of its people. “We should learn from our past and move forward with renewed pledge and resolve to take the country on the path of prosperity and development,” he said.
In his speech, the prime minister also paid tribute to people belonging to various sectors, including sports, education, health. He specifically praised Olympian Arshad Nadeem, who attended the ceremony as a special guest alongside his mother.
Sharif further condemned the ongoing Israeli barbarism in Gaza, saying the “massacre of thousands of innocent Palestinians has diminished our pleasures on the occasion of Independence Day.” He also expressed the government’s resolve to stand by Kashmiri brothers and sisters until the resolution of the issue according to the will of the people of the disputed region.