Jhang - Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday blasted political opponents demanding snap elections, saying the government will complete its term.

Suggestions were being made about bringing in a technocratic government and political alliances were being forged to derail the PML-N government, but all such efforts would fail and elections would be held on time, he held.

The PML-N has met its pledge and fulfilled the mission of making Pakistan loadshedding-free, he said. The party would win the next polls on the basis of its performance, Abbasi said.

The prime minister was addressing a ceremony on the occasion of laying foundation stone of a gas-fired power plant here in Haveli Bahadur Shah area of Jhang district.

He said he was so glad to inaugurate the fourth power plant run by Liquefied Natural Gas, as three such plants were already generating electricity.

To be built by the collaboration of China and Punjab government, the 1,263-megawatt generation capacity project would be completed within the record period of 14 months at the cost of Rs80 billion, which was quite low amount going by the world standards, he said.

The PM praised Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying had he not been around the development projects would have suffered delays. “It was due to the hectic struggle of Mian Shahbaz that we have succeeded in ending loadshedding.”

He said Punjab had launched mega energy projects with its own resources. “We have cooperated with all provinces and have given equal share to them. No one can complain that PML-N differentiated between provinces,” he further said.

Comparing the projects initiated by his government with those of the previous governments, the premier said the PPP brought Rental Power Projects, which were completed in 30 months, but those did not generate even a single watt and mired the country deep into debt instead.

Abbasi said that the government of PML-N not only starts projects but it also completes those. He claimed that they have completed all the development and energy projects with complete transparency.

When the PML-N came to power, there was a shortfall of 10,000 megawatt, but the government under leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif completed several power projects on fast-track, Abbasi said.

Abbasi said the government had put an end to loadshedding in the country, but where there is electricity theft, because of which the people could continue witnessing power outages.

Addressing the ceremony, Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif lashed out at PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. He remarked that those who have looted the country were now talking about others’ corruption.

“Someone needs to come forward and bring structural reforms. There is rampant corruption. If NAB [National Accountability Bureau] won’t hold Zardari accountable, the nation will do so. I will bring each and everything [about his corruption] to the surface,” he vowed.

“The money of the poor people has been looted and stashed in Switzerland accounts,” he said refereeing to corruption and money laundering allegations against the PPP leader. “That money could have been spent on the orphans, widows and unemployed youth,” he added.

Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Chairperson Imran Khan, he said that not a single watt of electricity was added to the system by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the PTI’s ongoing tenure while Imran talks of making a new Pakistan. He claimed that the people surrounding PTI chief were also involved in corrupt practices.

About the corruption allegations against him, Shehbaz remarked that even if NAB carried out 56,000 investigations against him, no corruption would be found. “If even an ounce of corruption is proven against me, the nation is free to hold me accountable,” he added.

Shehbaz Sharif also stressed that politicians, judges, generals and bureaucrats must work together and form a new socio-political contract. “All the stakeholders must work together if we want to make Pakistan as it was envisioned by Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam,” he added.

Earlier, Punjab CM, Minister for Power Awais Khan Leghari and Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali accompanied the prime minister as they unveiled the plaque to launch work on the project that would be completed in two phases. Ambassadors of China and Germany also attended the ceremony.

Moreover, federal ministers including Ahsan Iqbal and Ghulam Murtaza Jtoi, provincial ministers including Rana Sanaullah, Ayysha Ghous, Zaeem Qadri, Bilal Yaseen, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Jahangir Khanzada, Suleman Rafique and Asif Saeed, and MNAs including Shahibzada Nazeer Sultan, Ghulam BIbi Bharwana and Najaf Sial as well as a large number of MPAs were present on the occasion.

 

 

Efforts to derail govt will fail: PM