ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Monday said leaders of the PML-N had started disappointing masses through their statements.
“Masses have voted the PML-N to power to lessen their difficulties and not to take note of their fictional statements which are adding to the disappointment,” it said.
PEW President Dr Murtaza Mughal said Ddjected and highly demoralised masses deserved to see a difference between the incumbent and the former corrupt rulers.
He said some recent statements regarding load shedding and energy crisis indicated that the federal ministers were speaking the language of the powerful lobbies that might have financed their election campaigns.
Mughal said one of the federal ministers had targeted the CNG sector, levelling allegations of theft against it while conveniently ignoring influential sectors responsible for annual theft of around Rs 250 billion of electricity and natural gas.
Majority of CNG stations involved in theft of natural gas are owned by PML-N and PPP leaders. Some influential owners of CNG outlets will never pay gas bills amounting to millions of rupees but would enjoy uninterrupted gas supply even during the load shedding.
“The PML-N government should make public the names and political affiliation of such CNG outlets and take strict action against them according to the provisions of law,” he demanded.
Mughal said the PML-N leaders should not issue hollow statements and put their pre-election words into action as reliance on speeches could trigger suspicions among masses about the aims and objectives of the new leadership.
“PML-N will lose popularity if important ministries continued to follow the footsteps of former adviser to the PM on petroleum and natural resources who was a Canadian national,” he warned.
According to data of a gas distribution company, the PML-N and the PPP politicians from Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, Lahore, Sargodha, Kharian and Peshawar were prominent among those involved in gas theft.
Moreover, two top PPP leaders from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had not paid bills of their CNG filling stations and industrial units since years.
A former chairman of a textile body from Lahore was held in gas theft of Rs 72 crores while former chairman of the same association from Peshawar was held for stealing gas worth tens of millions through direct connection.
It remains a challenge for the incumbent government to public names of culprits based on data from gas utility and inform masses about the action taken against them.
