Abbasi says country won't progress until politicians are respected

SIALKOT:  Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday reiterated that the country will not progress unless politicians, who serve the country, are given due respect.

Addressing groundbreaking ceremony of dualization of Pasrur-Sialkot road, he said vote and politicos should be respected if they desire development of the country. “Politicians should be accorded same respect as generals and judges,” he added.

Abbasi said only politicians are held accountable here and regretted that those who served the country were sent packing merely on the basis of a work permit.

He said the PML-N accepted all decisions against it in greater interest of the country.

Speaking about former law minister Zahid Hamid’s resignation in the wake of a controversial amendment to the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath for electoral candidates, he said the erstwhile minister purposely stepped down to bring an end to a controversy over the law.

Highlighting the PML-N government’s performance, Abbasi said it is only the current government that has worked for development of the country.

He said the GDP growth was below 3 per cent, but it reached 6 per cent after the PML-N came to power,

The premier said the people have to decide who they want to elect in the forthcoming general elections and claimed that the PML-N has solution to all problems plaguing the country.

Earlier, on arrival at Cadet College in Pasrur, he was given a detailed briefing on the road project. The premier is also expected to lay the foundation stone of Narowal-Lahore-Sialkot Motorway link road project.