PM Shehbaz wants public to compare PML-N, PTI govts’ performance before voting in upcoming polls

SHARQPUR: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged the people to compare the performance of the “corruption-tainted” government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with that of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)  before voting in the upcoming general elections.

The prime minister made these remarks while addressing a ceremony after stone laying of different significant development projects which included 19Kms long Lahore bypass linking Kala Shah Kaku with Lahore-Karachi Motorway at a cost of Rs35 billion.

The prime minister also broke ground for expansion of Lahore-Karachi Motorway Saggian road and main Ravi bridge.

Later, he laid foundation stones of Esaan (Sharqpur) interchange at Abdul Hakeem Motorway and the establishment of Quaid Azam University campus and soft launch of construction of a scout college.

PM Shehbaz said they would accept public mandate in the upcoming general elections and if the PML-N under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif got another opportunity to serve the country, they would restore the real image of Pakistan.

Declaring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as “a builder of Pakistan, man behind ending loadshedding, launching of multi dollars China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and a builder of a vast network of roads and putting the country on path of rapid progress”, he said his brother aspired to transform the country into ‘an Asian tiger’.

Unfortunately, his rule was ended in 2018 through a huge conspiracy hatched against Pakistan, the prime minister regretted.

If the PML-N was in the government during the four years of PTI’s rule, the country would have a different destiny, he claimed.

The prime minister said during the years 2013 to 2018, the country was making progress by leaps and bounds, but afterwards in the PTI’s government, the country was pushed into chaos.

The premier said with a change in the regime, all the opposition leadership was sent to jails on basis of fake cases, false allegations of thefts and corruption were levelled, even sisters and daughters were sent behind bars during the PTI’s rule.

“The development pace spurred by PML-N government was halted,” he regretted.

PM castigates Imran Khan

PM Shehbaz also questioned PTI chief Imran Khan’s claims of returning back $300 billion stashed outside Pakistan within ninety days, saying that the PTI’s government did not get any single penny during the four years of its rule.

Referring to Rs50 billion amount recovery scandal, he said, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) had investigated the issue and after out of court settlement with the other party, decided to return the amount to the government exchequer but it did not go to State Bank of Pakistan rather went to the Supreme Court where Niazi’s government became a party.

A closed envelop was presented before the cabinet in this regard without showing or discussing it with the members and approval was accorded, he added.

“It was a huge crime as to how the national exchequer was plundered,” he said, adding the BRT Peshawar, Toshakhana, Malam Jabba, sugar scams etc were the other major corruption cases of PTI.

The prime minister said the UK crime agency had also carried out investigation against him for two years over false allegations and at the request of PTI’s government but later, gave him clean chit.

Risk of default

Citing difficulties regarding an agreement with International Monetary Fund (IMF), the prime minister said China, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates stood with Pakistan like rocks.

He said that he could not sleep due to fears of Pakistan being at the verge of default, but with the grace of Allah Almighty, Pakistan was now, on its right direction.

Youth programme

Under Youth’s programmes, PM Shehbaz said, about Rs80 billion were set aside and exclaimed that if the government had more resources, he would not hesitate to allocate them for the country’s youth.

He said under the laptops scheme, the students were given the gadgets due to their hard work. Due to this facility, a huge number of youth had been earning livelihood and getting education while sitting at homes, he added.

The prime minister declared that if the PML-N got another opportunity to serve the country, they would spread a network of laptops.

He further said that price hike had burdened the poor people, but these difficulties could be overcome with collective hard work, dedication and sincerity.

The prime minister also underlined the priorities of his government including agriculture development, information technology, exploration of minerals etc to achieve progress.

He reiterated that life could no longer be led on foreign loans and stressed that the country people have to decide whether to live with respect or on begging.