ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday approved six demands for grants relating to Power and Petroleum Divisions, rejecting all the cut motions moved by the opposition through majority vote.

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif also participated in the voting process.

Winding up discussion on the grants, Minister for Power Division Omar Ayub Khan said 76 percent of electricity and 45 percent gas consumers will not be affected by increase in prices of these commodities.

He said the government has provided subsidy to facilitate electricity and gas consumers.  Minister for Power Division said 80 percent of the total feeders are now load-shedding free across Pakistan. He said supply of additional electricity for three hours to all the feeders in Balochistan has begun.

Earlier, speaking on cut motions, opposition members criticized performance of the Power and Petroleum Division and said that government has increased the prices of gas upto 300 percent which is affecting industrial sector as well as general public.

They said government did not generate even one megawatts electricity but it enhanced the prices of electricity. They said no effective steps are being taken for exploration in oil sector.  They said that the previous government PML-N generated 11,000 megawatts electricity but it did not increase the prices of electricity and gas.

They called for improving the power transmission system to avoid line losses.

Among others, who participated in the debate, include Naveed Qamar, Barjees Tahir, Yousuf Talpur, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Abdul Qadir Patel, Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Nafisa Shah, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ali Pervaiz, Raza Rabbani Khar, Syed Javed Husnain, Muhammad Anwar, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan, Ehsanul Haq Bajwa.

The House also approved another six demands for grants relating to defence division. —NNI