'Its not accountability but exploitation', says PM Sharif

UPPER DIR: Inaugurating the Lowari Tunnel here, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said that it’s not accountability test that he is going through but exploitation while decrying the Panamagate probe and the situation arising from it.

Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating the Lowari Tunnel here, Prime Minister said: “I want tell the JIT [Joint Investigation Team] and PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] that no one will take your accountability test. ‘This is not accountability but exploitation’. I guarantee no one will accept it.”

Calling for end of the Panamagate drama, he said his patience should not be put on test any more. “There is not a single stain of corruption on me,” he insisted.

Envisioning a developed Pakistan, the PM took a swipe at PTI while stating that their ‘Naya Pakistan’ (developed Pakistan) remains obscure. “We are the one making the ‘Naya Pakistan’ as well as ‘Naya Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” remarked the premier.

“They pledged a developed and progressive Pakistan but where is that,” he queried.

He also lambasted the six-member JIT and said that its members were acting as ‘Sadiq’ (truthful) and ‘Amin’ (trustworthy) like angels.

Vowing to bring Chitral at par with Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, PM Sharif said that Chitral has been cut off with rest of the country in winters for years but it would now take only two hours to here from Dir after completion of Lowari Tunnel.

“The previous governments announced to begin and complete the tunnel work but the project was never completed. It’s the PML-N government completing the 98% of work timely, only two percent of work is remaining but the tunnel is opened for traffic from today,” the premier further said.

It is to be mentioned here that Lowari Tunnel, a project connecting Dir with Chitral, is aimed at enhancing economic growth and employment opportunities in the region.

The premier reached Upper Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Thursday afternoon to inaugurate the tunnel. He was accompanied by KP Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, adviser Amir Muqam, PML-N leader Pir Sabir Shah and aviation adviser Mehtab Abbasi.

Lowari Tunnel, which includes two tunnels (8.5 kilometres and 1.9 kilometres), access roads and 12 bridges (35km), is located on Nowshera-Mardan-Malakand-Chakdara-Chitral National Highway (N-45).

Prior to its construction, the area remained cut off from the rest of the country especially during the winter season.

In 2005, the construction work on the project was re-started during the tenure of Pervez Musharraf. However, the project faced funding issues.