BAHAWALPUR - Former Punjab chief minister and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi launched a diatribe against the PML-N government, claiming that all the Punjab government schemes had failed, departments have been destroyed and tall claims proved to be mere eyewash to hoodwink the public.
“On one hand, people are starving while the other the government of Khadim-e-Aala is busy constructing Metro Bus projects.”
Addressing a public gathering here in Bahawalpur on Saturday evening, former deputy PM termed that both the Punjab and the Federal governments had failed utterly. “All the schemes launched by the PML-N government including Danish School, sasti roti scheme, taxi scheme and others turned out to be a fiasco and wastage of precious public money,” he alleged, adding that these schemes like “Punjab CM” were nowhere visible now.
The ex-CM claimed that all departments had been destroyed by one family rule. “Hospitals do not have medicines and people are on the verge of starvation but the government is busy with construction Metro Bus projects,” he criticised, adding that how the public having no money to eat could be benefited from the Metro Bus projects. Pervaiz Elahi recalled that when he was chief minister, the government used to provide electricity to people at Re5 per unit but now the PML-N government was charging Rs18 to 20 for a unit of electricity besides long hour outages that had made life of the people miserable and had destroyed the industry. He claimed that Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif had promised that they would resolve the electricity crisis within six months, adding that it had almost been a year and half but the PML-N failed to even control the loadshedding. “Whosoever asks the rulers about when the govt will resolve the electricity issue, they reply that they are going to China and will soon end the crisis,” the ex-CM joked, adding that Sharif Brothers only visited China for their personal gains not for resolving the electricity crisis. He emphasised that Kalabagh Dam was the only remedy to the crippling energy crisis as it’s construction would bring down electricity price to Re3 per unit, adding that benefits of the dam would be for the entire country. KBD will produce 3,600MW of electricity which will be enough to meet the shortfall and it will also provide water to all the provinces, especially Sindh will get its benefits the most, he elaborated.
Pervaiz Elahi claimed that the KBD would cost only $9 billion while its benefits would be enormous. He alleged that the current government was spending national resources on “expensive electricity projects” rather than cheap hydroelectricity. Pervaiz Elahi recalled his govt, saying that they served the public to the best of their potential when Allah Almighty had blessed them the opportunity. Colleges and schools were established in Bahawalpur Division, especially a Degree College was established for the disable and also education till matriculation was made free. The PML-Q stalwart said that sense of deprivation in Southern Punjab and Bahawalpur was more than any part of the country, adding that funds meant for these areas were being spent in Lahore.
He alleged that the government had done nothing for the farmers. Speaking on the occasion, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that all political leaders should think about the national interest rather than their personal interests, adding that they were always ready to render any sacrifice for the national interest. Some political parties are based on secularism, some on Socialism and some are claimed to be liberalism but out ideology is Jinnahism and Muhammad Ali Jinnah is our leader, Quaid and guardian,” he declared. The veteran politician said that the government should conduct LG elections immediately and all workers should focus on the preparations for the local body elections. Ch Shujaat pointed out that the country was confronted with internal and external threats, adding that the government’s silence on rising violation of the Line of Control was questionable.