LAHORE: As Punjab cabinet on Thursday approved a Rs14 per unit subsidy on August and September electricity bills for consumers in the province and Islamabad, using from 201 to 500 units, Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman was conspicuous by his absence, sparking speculations that he was made to skip the meeting for his ‘controversial remarks’ on the issue.

The finance minister earlier had claimed that the actual cost of the subsidy was Rs90 billion and not Rs45bn, as claimed by the Maryam administration, and that half of the amount to be spent on providing this relief to Punjab would be funded by the federal government.

Following the minister’s statement, the Punjab government categorically clarified that it would exclusively fund this relief with Rs45bn.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had reportedly expressed her displeasure over Rehman’s statement and barred him from issuing any further statements on the matter.

Mr Rehman could not be reached out for his comment on the matter as his cell phone was switched off, while Information Minister Azma Bokhari couldn’t........

© Dawn Business