By Following months of public outcry and criticism from the opposition over soaring electricity prices, the Punjab government announced a significant relief measure on Friday. Customers using up to 500 units of electricity will receive a subsidy of Rs14 per unit for August and September. This decision, seen as a strategy to placate the PML-N’s voter base in Punjab, was unveiled by the party’s president, Nawaz Sharif.
During a press conference with his daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif expressed his concern over the impact of high electricity bills on the public. He introduced the relief plan, which is expected to cost Rs45 billion. To fund this initiative, the Punjab government will cut expenditures in other sectors, including various development schemes. Sharif did not specify which sectors or projects would face cuts, but he emphasized that the government is reallocating funds to provide this relief.
Sharif also announced a future solar panel scheme aimed at further reducing electricity bills. This initiative is projected to cost Rs700 billion. He encouraged other provinces to follow Punjab’s lead in providing similar relief to their residents.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the relief package, praising his brother Nawaz Sharif, and niece Maryam Nawaz Sharif for their people-centric approach. He highlighted the package as a notable example of addressing the concerns of electricity consumers. Sharif also exonerated the current federal government from responsibility for high electricity prices and inflation, attributing these issues to the previous PTI administration. He claimed that when he was in power in 2017, the average electricity bill for poor households was Rs1,600, compared to the current Rs18,000, and that electricity tariffs were Rs14 per unit under his government.
Nawaz Sharif reiterated his dissatisfaction with his ouster from office in 2017, questioning the Supreme Court’s decision to remove him for not receiving a salary from his son’s firm. He criticized the disruption of Pakistan’s progress due to alleged conspiracies and blamed the PTI government for economic mismanagement, which he claimed forced the country to seek an IMF bailout.
In response, PTI senior leader Hammad Azhar challenged Sharif’s claims. He noted that during Imran Khan’s tenure, electricity rates were Rs16 per unit, but they surged to Rs70 under Shehbaz Sharif’s government over the past two years. Azhar also criticized Nawaz Sharif for his party’s performance and accused them of losing the February 2024 elections, alleging that they stole the mandate through conspiracy.
