Imran concerned over environmental hazards of Sahiwal coal plant

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday that when the entire world is not using coal for power because of its environmental hazards, the federal government has set up a coal power production unit at Sahiwal. Speaking in a press conference along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, he said that the government is not utiilising its resources but preferring to import coal and LNG for power production in view of getting maximum commissions. "Government is not utilising its resources but importing LNG and coal," he added. "The import of fuel is a burden on national exchequer." The PTI chairman said that the KP government is ready to add 74MW electricity to the national grid, but the government is reluctant to accept it. Imran said that environmental pollution is the emerging issue in Pakistan, adding that the operations of Sahiwal coal power project will be dangerous for the health of children and elders. Taking a jibe at the CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, he said that one end he challenges the KP government to show many megawatts electricity we have produced, at the very same time he also obstructs the provincial government when it wants to add electricity in the national grid. Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, KP CM Pervaiz Khattak announced that the provincial government has signed an MOU with a Russian energy company. He alleged that the federal government is not giving NOCs to the provincial projects.