I NFURIATED by government’s political gimmick to bring back former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from self-exile articulate PML-N leaders have put the leadership of ruling party on the defensive, although it has made certain achievements on economic and foreign policy fronts. The government knew very well that in the past British government did not entertain the extradition request of Nawaz Sharif family money laundering “Guru” Ishaq Dar, ignoring their own law “Financial Crimes Act,” which had come into force in September 2017 in the UK. In a media talk, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said that PTI government has miserably failed to create job opportunities, lower inflation to single digit and increase output of leading sectors of the national economy. Likewise, Information Secretary of the party Information Secretary Maryam Auranzeb described the past two year’s performance deplorable. On the contrary, government could not highlight its achievements on economic front, which will produce long term benefits.
The present government started construction of two mega hydropower projects of Diyamer Basha and Mohammand dams for water conservation. The PML-N government had approved an estimated cost of Rs.523 billion for Diyamer Basha dam in May, 2018, which the present government reduced to Rs.Rs.440 billion without changing the specifications in design. Emphasis has been shifted from expensive fossil fuel thermal power generation to cheap electricity generation from renewable sources such as hydel, wind and solar to achieve optimal power mix for tariff reduction. It was the open animosity and docility against water aggression policy of India of PML-N government that the World Bank refused to set up arbitration tribunal on the construction of controversial Kishan Ganga dam. The World Bank even stopped the Asian Development Bank from providing finances for Diyamer Basha Dam. Pakistan will be paying the price of pro-India water diplomacy in future as well. The outgoing Country Director of the World Bank in Pakistan Patchuthu Ilangovan had made it clear the Bank will no more play a mediation role in water disputes between Pakistan and India within the ambit of Indus Water Treaty. PML-N government had allowed an upfront inflated tariff in addition to 75 percent idle plant capacity payments, for a revolving fund had to be instituted in banks. It was because of the efforts of PTI government that Chinese Companies have showed willingness to renegotiate the terms of shady deals made by the previous government under the umbrella of CPEC.
