All political leaders will ‘discuss ways to overcome current national challenges’ n PTI representatives also invited to attend Apex Committee meeting to be held in Peshawar to discuss terrorism.
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday called an All Parties Conference (APC) of leadership across the political spectrum to discuss ways to overcome the current national challenges.
The APC will be held on February 7 in Islamabad and all the leading political leaders are invited for this important meeting, officials said. The prime minister also invited Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan to attend the conference.
Federal Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, a former speaker of the National Assembly, had contacted PTI leaders Asad Qaiser and former defence minister Pervez Khattak. Ayaz Sadiq conveyed the two leaders about the invitation of the prime minister to Imran Khan for the APC.
The PM also invited two representatives of the PTI to the apex committee meeting to be held in Peshawar on Friday. Ayaz Sadiq conveyed the invitation for the meeting to the PTI leaders.
He requested the PTI leaders to inform about the nominated representatives of the party for the apex committee meeting.
All stakeholders including Rangers and officers of the intelligence institutions will attend meeting of the committee to be held at the Governor House in Peshawar. The meeting will discuss the incident of terrorism that occurred at the mosque in Police Lines Peshawar on January 30. The committee will consider steps to eradicate terrorism and upgrade the counterterrorism department and police.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday inaugurated K-3, the third unit of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUP), which will produce 1,100mega watt of electricity. The project was completed with the assistance from China.
Addressing on the occasion, the prime minister said K-3 is a step forward in cooperation with Pakistan’s trusted friend China. He congratulated the scientists and workers of Pakistan and China who strove for completion of the project.
He said the staff of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, who contributed to the project, would be invited to the Prime Minister’s Office for public recognition. The prime minister said in view of $27 billion energy import bill, Pakistan required alternative and inexpensive sources of energy including solar, wind, hydel and nuclear.
He said Pakistan was blessed with enormous resources had the potential of producing 60,000 mega watts through hydel power and regretted that the power generation stood merely at 10,000 megawatt.
He recalled that the project of KANUP was finalised during the tenure of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif and expressed gratitude to the Government of China for extending cooperation in this regard. Shehbaz Sharif mentioned that the electricity projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor were greatly contributing to the country’s energy demands through the production of thousands of megawatts.
Director General International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, in a video message, emphasised the importance of safe use of nuclear energy as Pakistan faced challenges of climate change.
Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Raja Ali Raza Anwar said National Electric Power Regulatory Authority had declared KANUP as a high power producing facility with its 27.15 percent production.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday visited the residence of Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Shazia Marri to extend greetings on her son’s wedding. The prime minister, who was on daylong visit here, expressed good wishes for the newly married couple.
He prayed that the wedding of the couple might become a source of pleasures for both the families.