THARPARKAR: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf Thursday assured that huge Thar Coal reserves in Sindh would be explored expeditiously for progress and development of that province and the entire country.
Addressing a function during his visit to Thar Coal site in Tharparkar, the PM said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was serious about conducting free, fair and impartial elections. “Usually the parties are afraid of the elections but we are not. We would accept the decision of the people.” The Prime Minister said that “no political party in the country understands the politics as does the PPP.”Expressing satisfaction on pace of work for exploiting Thar coal reserves, he said three companies were already working on various projects. Sindh government in collaboration with Engro company is working on one block and a UK company and a Chinese company have shown interest in other blocks.
The PM said the huge coal deposits are a great gift of the nature for people of the area and the country. He said he was told during the briefing that a single block of Thar would produce two billion barrel diesel. There are many such blocks in the area. Presenting a land of milk and honey scenario, he said once these coal projects are completed people from different regions of the world would seek employment in Tharparkar.He said President Asif Ali Zardari, federal and provincial governments and other departments concerned were zealously working to exploit Thar Coal for national development; though he did not tell what exactly the president had to do with this energy project.
He appreciated spirit of renowned scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand, who is working on coal gasification project without any salary, without feeling any embarrassment at his government’s failure at continuing support to the scientist and his team for their noble work.Coming back to politics, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said “no one should teach us the lesson in politics and democracy” as he went on to beating the same old drums of PPP’s unprecedented struggle and sacrifices for the democracy.
He proclaimed that revolution has already come as the ‘democratic government’ was going to complete its five years tenure despite all difficulties, but he failed to make a mention of people’s difficulties that have grown to unbearable proportion since coming of the current regime.In the usual exercise of shifting the burden of failure onto the old and outdated shoulders and claiming every possible credit even for nature’s mercy, he said there was shortage of wheat and flour when they took over but now the country is in a position to export wheat. “All this happened due to ‘prudent’ policies of PPP government,” he declared. – Nation
