LAHORE Three-day energy summit in Islamabad was a futile exercise, since no objectives can be achieved from this, and in order to actualise the power-austerity measures, the prime minister, president, chief ministers and governors should move to smaller houses instead of huge bungalows. This was stated by leading political figures at a seminar 'Load-shedding issue and governments decisions merits and demerits organised under the aegis of Nawa-i-Waqt, The Nation and Waqt News here at the Hameed Nizami Hall on Friday. The programme was conducted by Khawaja Farrukh Saeed. Advisor to PM on youth affairs Mian Muhammad Ayub opined that the load-shedding was a cancer, which had not been treated so far. Instead of cosmetic and temporary measures, long-term policy will have to be adopted. The PPP stayed in power only for 11 years, while neither even the most powerful dictators Zia and Musharraf nor government with two-thirds majority could develop consensus for the construction of the Kalabagh Dam. If the PPP would have got such a mandate, it would have resolved all the issues, but through conspiracy, the Party was not allowed to attain this mandate, he averred, while adding that President Asif Ali Zardari had resolved all issues including NFC Award, Balochistan Package, establishing of Gilgit-Baltistan Province and renaming of the NWFP, he would resolve the electricity crisis as well, which could be done through sacrifices. If dams have been constructed in India, dictators also have not ruled the country, he said, while advising the media that it should not divert governments attention to trivial matters, and let it work. Ex-Member WAPDA Syed Tanzeem Hussain Naqvi observed the three-day energy summit was a futile exercise, and through austerity measures only 700mw to 800mw electricity would be saved, while the shortfall is 6500mw. We are suffering because of our slackness of not having power-house during the last decade or so. WAPDAs hydro power plants used to produce 6500mw but due to non maintenance and upgradation, their capacity have got reduced to 2500mw, he said, while rejecting the usage of oil as fuel for generating electricity since it is a luxury which can be afforded by an oil producing nation, as it is costing us $200billion annually, which can be used for doing other things. He strongly supported the construction of the KBD, and said it would produce 4500mw, whereas small dams would help the cause a little only though India was producing 36000mw electricity through small dams. Secretary Information Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Omer Sarfraz Cheema opined that electricity shortage was mother of all crises. He was of the view that those nations, who had visionary leaders, prepared themselves far ahead of the energy crisis. We have all natural resources for producing 19500mw of electricity, but nothing has been done in this regard, he said, adding that those opposing the KBD were actually anti-Pakistan. Political expediency weighs heavier than national interests for the leaders, and we are not constructing dams despite the fact that we are losing 35million cusecs of water every year, he maintained. PPP MPA Sajida Mir observed that for the construction of the KBD, referendum should have been held, but the dictators went for referendums only to perpetuate their rules. President All Pakistan Traders Ittehad Khawaja Azhar Gulshan bitterly criticised the government for not taking the traders into confidence regarding the timing of the closure of markets. He was of the view that such steps would further destroy the business, which was already not a pleasant scenario. Secretary General Pakistan Workers Federation Khursheed Ahmed observed that the premier, president, CMs and governors should move to small houses, and give sacrifices themselves instead of asking the people to do that. He supported the idea for producing cheap electricity through coal.