HAVELI BAHADUR SHAH - SAJID ZIA - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Friday asked his political opponents to desist from hatching conspiracies against the government and compete with PML-N in politics.
“You cannot win elections, but only can hatch conspiracies. PML-N repeatedly defeated you in elections and will continue to defeat you,” Nawaz Sharif said, addressing a public gathering after inaugurating the first unit of 1,230MW Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant here in district Jhang.
Without naming any political party, the prime minister said: "Since you don’t have the power to win elections, you just conspire either in the garb of dharnas or in the name of accountability.”
“Then you hide behind the JIT. It is cowardice. You should come and compete with PML-N in politics,” he said, adding the nation knows the positive work done by the government and also negative politics done by the opposition in the last four years. The prime minister said his government would continue pursuing its agenda of development and service of the people.
Referring to the current situation of political uncertainty and instability, the prime minister said it had also hit the country’s stock market over the past few days and also affected the value of rupee against the US dollar.
The prime minister added his government had a strong determination to move ahead and serve the people. “We would not be deterred by the hue and cry being made by our political opponents,” he said.
The prime minister said even on July 10, the day when the JIT would present its report, he would perform the groundbreaking of Dasu Hydropower Project, having a capacity of generating 4,500 megawatts of electricity.
Similarly, he said, Diamer-Bhasha Dam was also in the preparation phase, which would not only generate 4,500 megawatts of electricity, but also serve as a huge water reservoir to irrigate the country’s agricultural lands.
Speaking about Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant, the prime minister said it was completed in 21 months, adding a new trend had been created in the country where mega projects were being completed in the shortest possible time.
The prime minister said with dozens of power projects launched by the government, it had succeeded in adding 7,000MW of electricity to the national grid so far. He said it was not a normal thing that light was coming back to the country, eliminating the darkness created due to the criminal negligence of the past regimes, including that of a dictator.
The prime minister said it was their promise to remove darkness from the country. “We have fulfilled this promise to a large extent,” he said. “We will completely eliminate loadshedding from the country,” he maintained.
“Our political opponents are not happy over it as Pakistan is growing and achieving the heights of development, darkness is ending and roads and motorways are being constructed.”
Nawaz Sharif referred to already completed and ongoing four and six-lane highways and motorway projects, including Peshawar-Karachi, Gwadar-Khunjrab, Faisalabad-Multan, Multan-Sukkur, Sukkur-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Karachi etc, adding these were revolutionary projects.
The premier said tourism sector was getting boost in the country, particularly in the hilly areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, KP and Azad Kashmir.
He said the GDP growth had crossed 5 percent during the previous fiscal year due to enhanced industrial and agricultural activities and the economy was improving and bringing prosperity. The purchasing power of the masses over the last four years had also increased, he added.
The prime minister mentioned the saving of huge Rs 168 billion in the installation of three power projects, including Haveli Bahadur Shah, Bhikki and Ballo Ki, adding this amount would be spent on other development projects.
The prime minister said besides the huge development work being carried out in Balochistan, the government was also constructing motorways in KP. Moreover, the government had provided Rs 26 billion for the completion of Lowari Tunnel Project over the last two years, he said, adding the project would be inaugurated within two months.
Similarly, coal projects were being initiated in Thar, Sindh, he averred. He also mentioned metro and Orange Line projects as achievements of PML-N in bringing about a revolutionary change in the life of the commuters who used to spend a lot of time and money to reach offices, schools and colleges. “But now they reach their destinations with respect and comfort by spending Rs 20 to Rs 25,” he said and added their political opponents did not hesitate to criticise and ridicule such service-oriented projects.
The prime minister said the government had spent Rs 8 billion to improve railways and the work was underway to enhance the speed of locomotives from 80km to 120km per hour, adding it would boost the railway system. He lauded the efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and others in the early completion of Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Project. He asserted it was producing electricity for Rs 6.42 per unit.
The prime minister also mentioned the Sahiwal Coal Power Project and said it had added 1,320MW of electricity to the national grid. He said the time was not far when Pakistan would be included in the list of developed countries.