ISLAMABAD: The government has devised a national contingency energy-saving plan to stabilise the economy, conserve energy and cut the import bill because an `extraordinary situation` required `extraordinary measures`, the information minister said on Thursday.The plan, prepared by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, was approved in a high-level meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday at the Prime Minister`s Office.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that the plan would be presented in the next cabinet meeting for final approval and all the chiefministers would also be invited so that it could be implemented in collaboration with the provinces.

Under the plan, a crackdown on electricity theft would be launched and many private and government buildings would be converted to solar energy.

She said the main purpose of the emergency energy saving plan was to reduce the pressure on citizens and the economy as the price of fuel, including oil, continued to rise in the global market. The meeting was apprised that as a result of the energysaving plan, billions of dollars could be saved annually.

Ms Aurangzeb said extraordinary measures were necessary to deal with the extraordinary situation in which every Pakistani would have to play his part.

The minister quoted Prime Minister Shehbaz as saying: `Saving energy is imperative for Pakistan`s survival.

She later said in a Twitter post that `Pakistan`s import bill is $29 billion annually. This amount in rupees is more than 6 kharab rupees. As a result of theenergy saving plan, annual savings of billions of dollars have been estimated, which is more than 262bn in Pakistani rupees`.

However, her tweet was riddled with errors as $29bn equals Rs60 kharab (or Rs6 trillion) and the country`s import bill crossed $80bn in the previous fiscal year.

Besides, savings of Rs262bn would result in reducing the bill by a mere $1.2bn. Perhaps this is what prompted a Twitter user to tell Ms Aurangzeb: `We also want to live in a Pakistan where the import bill is $29bn.

Imran`s accountability Later, Ms Aurangzeb said PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who had held others accountable for four years, should alsoface accountability for deeds during his own four years rule from 2018 to 2022.

She said the alleged misuse ofToshakhana gifts by Mr Khan was an `open-and-shut case` `It is not only a case of watches and gifts worth billions of rupees but of non-declaration of assets in his returns,` she said.

She also lashed out at the Punjab government, saying the provincial administration had turned educational institutions into political arenas.

She said she was glad to see that `youth are moving away from the politics of division and corruption of Imran Khan`, as they had realised that the country was economically far better before Mr Khan came to power.

The youth also knew that the country was facing an economic crisis due to Mr Khan`s `inefficiency and incompetence`, she said, adding: `Now Imran Khan has to answer for his corruption and thef t.