KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has dismissed the notion that Pakistan People’s Party is supporting its former provincial minister Sharjeel Memon.
The CM on Sunday visited the under construction project in Nooriabad, Jamshoro district, and was briefed about the project.
The CM observed that so far no other province had initiated such a power project as part of the public-private partnership venture.
“Such projects were started by former President Asif Zardari (Pakistan Peoples Party’s Co-Chairman) under the public-private partnership,” he said, adding that the provincial government owned 49 percent share in the company while the private partner had 51 percent shares.
He regretted that the project’s completion was delayed due to some official hindrances but the Sindh Government continued to pursue the project which would soon be completed.
“If there were no obstacles, the project would have been functioning by now,” he said.
Earlier, while briefing the CM the company’s Director Khursheed Jamali informed that the project’s inauguration would be held in a month’s time.
Jamali told that the project’s construction started in August, 2014, at a cost of Rs13 billion.
He apprised the CM that Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC) has laid 95 kilometers long transmission line to Karachi for selling the company’s electricity to K-Electric. The STDC had spent Rs. 2 billion on the lines, he added.
He told that the power was being generated through gas.
Jamali said the per-unit cost of the power generation was Rs. 9 while the same would be sold to K-Electric at Rs15.50 per unit.
However, Memon arrived in Pakistan from Dubai late on Saturday, ending his self-exile. He was detained by NAB and FIA authorities as he landed at the Islamabad airport; however, Memon was later released.
His lawyer says that the ex-minister, who is facing several cases of corruption, would surrender before Islamabad High Court on Monday.
