PTI draws Maryam’s fire over Punjab power subsidy case

By Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Maryam Nawaz, PML-N Vice President, on Tuesday came down hard on the PTI for moving the Supreme Court against Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz’s plan to provide 100 free units of electricity to lifeline consumers.
This relief is expected to be given to an estimated nine million poor families across the province.
In a statement on Twitter, Maryam said that free electricity had been provided to the poor in Punjab. So, instead of moving the top court against the Punjab CM’s decision, the PTI better provide free electricity to the needy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Maryam said in order to provide free electricity to the needy in KP, one should work hard, instead of being jealous.
A day earlier, PTI’s senior leader Fawad Chaudhry dubbed the populist action a “violation of the court orders and an attempt to gain political mileage” in a letter written to the apex court against the “relief package” of the chief minister. He also alleged that Maryam Nawaz was a criminal.
“Can she run an election campaign? In what capacity did Hamza announce the relief package? Hamza is not the Chief Minister of Punjab,” Chaudhry said.
“In the election we will compete with independent candidates, PML-N gave tickets to most of the looters, PTI and PML-N voters will not vote for the looters.”
Hamza on Monday declared the government would provide free electricity to domestic consumers using up to 100 units per month.
Talking to a press conference, he said that nine million households or 550 million people of the province would benefit from the relief and the government had reserved Rs100 billion for it.
He said the government was also planning to replace regular electricity with solar power for these consumers so that their free electricity continues in future.
Hamza said that under the proposed model, the government would provide solar panels to such consumers, and the private sector would also be encouraged to become a part of it.