Shehbaz Sharif calls for emulating Chinese development model, addresses engineers, workers of Karot Hydropower project

Karot: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for emulating the Chinese model of development.

Addressing the engineers and workers at the under-construction Karot Hydropower project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) here, the PM thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) supremo Nawaz Sharif and the Chairman of Three Gorges Company – which is executing the project.

He also thanked the Chinese and Pakistani workers, departments and ministries concerned for taking utmost interest to complete the project.

PM Sharif mentioned that during his interaction, the Chinese engineers had assured him of early completion.

The PM indicated that being a hydropower project, the electricity price would reduce to even Pakistani Rs 3 per unit gradually, after the retirement of the debt.

He also thanked the Three Gorges Company head for agreeing to supply free-of-charge electricity to the national grid till the finalization of Commercial Operation Dates to save Pakistani Rs 4 billion to the national kitty, which was unprecedented and a gesture of strong China-Pakistan friendship.

“This is the China-Pakistan friendship and iron brotherhood. This is the passion to serve that everyone should have. The only solution is the work hard and learn from the past mistakes and reject the sit-ins to achieve the lost grandeur,” he stated.

He said Pakistan should emulate the Chinese model of development. “Both the Punjab and Azad Jammu Kashmir governments would get Rs 1.2 billion as water use charge who would be spending Rs 120 million annually for the next 30 years for the uplift of the Karot area as the locals had sacrificed their properties for the project,” he added.

The Prime Minister, who reviewed the progress on the project, said the project faced some delays due to COVID and other related issues.

PM Sharif contended that the government was striving to take measures for controlling inflation and stabilize the economy.