LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has on Thursday demanded audit of Nandipur power project by Asian Development Bank (ADB). He said that the expenditure of Nandipur power project swelled from Rs. 22 billion to Rs. 84 billion.

Holding a press conference in Lahore, Imran Khan said that Nandipur power project was federal government’s project but it had Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif’s image on it so it was shut down after 5 days. He said that Shahbaz Sharif used to claim he would end load shedding within 6 months. “There was corruption in solar power project as well. Audit that!” demanded Imran Khan.

Imran Khan said that WAPDA suffered losses worth Rs. 980 billion while NEPRA informed in its report that 70% extra electricity bills were charged. He said that Neelum-Jehlum project needed Rs. 50 billion but the government allocated only Rs. 10 billion for this project and therefore, the funds are being collected in electricity bills now. He said that a delay of one year in Neelum-Jehlum project will cost Pakistan Rs. 50 billion.

Talking about LNG import agreement, Chairman PTI said that LNG deal is being kept secret by the government and alleged that the rulers were making money out of it. Imran said that Nawaz Sharif had cost Pakistan a loss worth Rs. 35 billion and LDA plots were awarded in 1988 to buy politicians. He said that circular debt in former President Pervez Musharraf’s era was Rs. 200 billion while swelled to Rs. 200 billion in Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) government. However, carried on Imran, the circular debt has now risen to Rs. 600 billion under the current Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government while the electricity tariff has doubled.

Chairman PTI said that Pakistan Steel Mills was working at 74% of its capacity in 2008 and the losses incurred by it under PPP regime swelled to Rs. 60 billion but the current government closed down the mill completely. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid only Rs. 470 as tax from 1994 to 1996 and quoting Wikipedia, Imran said that Nawaz Sharif is the 3rd richest person of Pakistan with assets worth Rs. 140 billion.

Earlier, Imran visited Mian Mir shrine and offered Fateha. Vice Chairman PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PTI candidate from NA-122 accompanied him on the visit. A large number of PTI workers also gathered on this occasion outside Mian Mira shrine.