SAHIWAL: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday Qadirabad coal-fired power plant would start producing electricity in June this year instead of the earlier deadline of December.

The chief minister was speaking at the arrival of the first freight railway carriage which brought imported coal to the plant site from Port Qasim, Karachi. The train brought 12,000 ton imported coal to be used in the plant operations.

Federal Minster for Railways Saad Rafique, Chinese Embassy Consul General Long Ding Bin, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Chaudhry Sher Ali and senior officers were among those present.

The chief minister said $50 billion Chinese investment in Pakistan`s energy sector was a revolutionary step which would bring a new era of prosperity and economic growth.

`The money provided by China is not a loan but an investment,` he said and added that Qadirabadplant would add 1,320MW power to the national grid.

China had invested $1.8 billion on this particular project and it was also spending money to generate 3,600MW energy from othersources such as solar and wind.

Around $112 billion investment is being done in Jhang, Head Balloki and Sheikhupura, he said.

Shahbaz Sharif also hit out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief who, he said, was disrupting the progress of the country.

`Those who are staging sit-ins against an elected and constitutional government are themselves bank defaulters,` he alleged.

Saad Rafiq said four to five trains would arrive daily from Karachi and the plant warehouse would deposit coal for six months which would help operate it.

The Chinese consul general, while speaking to the media, lauded the chief minister for taking interest in various mega projects.

He said the plant would be operational even before its deadline.