LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the PTI and the PPP have disappointed the masses in terms of development in the provinces where they are in power.

“The PML-N government has always focused on public welfare and prosperity of the nation, but the rival parties are not doing anything for the masses. Now they are levelling baseless allegations and telling lies about the PML-N government to cover up their own failures,” the chief minister said while talking to the party legislators who called on him here on Monday.

“National development and prosperity are top most priorities of the government. Our past, as well as the present, is witness to the fact that our every step is aimed at ensuring national development and prosperity of people,” he said.

He said it was by virtue of the policies of the PML-N that Pakistan of today is much better than the past and is moving speedily towards achieving the goal of self-reliance, prosperity and economic sustenance. He said the PML-N has taken steps to make the country economically strong and such steps were never taken in the 70 years history of the country. “Additional production of thousands of megawatts of electricity and restoration of peace in the country are historic achievements of the PML-N that will never be forgotten by the nation,” he said.

“People will always remember the steps we have taken to put the country on the road to development and prosperity,” he said. The government is continuing with the implementation of development agenda without caring what the elements engaged in negative politics are doing to obstruct the process of development, he said. People will forever bury the negative politics of the opponents of development. He said that those who have increased the problems of people will have to be held accountable for their deeds. The power-mongers trying to make it to the power through backdoors can never be sincere with people and the masses will hold them accountable in the elections of 2018, he said.

Shehbaz said that performance of the so-called claimants of change is evident to people. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been ruined in the name of change and added that critics of the metro bus do not have the ability to complete this project, as they have dug up the whole city of Peshawar in the name of the metro project. He said that elements that remained engaged in sit-ins, lockdowns and mendacity will be hiding their faces from people during the next elections. The real faces of those who continuously told lies during the last five years have been exposed before people, he said. He said the party, which was given mandate by people of Sindh, has disappointed the masses there. Those who turned Karachi, once the city of lights, into a trash hub, will be ashamed during the next elections, he said, and added that 2018 was the year to hold accountable the elements engaged in negative politics. He said the PML-N will win the 2018 elections with a vast majority on the basis of its performance and public service. If Almighty Allah gave the PML-N an opportunity to serve the national after 2018, then the development process will be moved forward with renewed zeal, he said.

Separately, the chief minister strongly condemned the unabated terrorism of Indian army in the occupied Kashmir. He expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of Kashmiri youth as a result of barbarism of the occupation Indian Army. The chief minister expressed his solidarity with the Kashmiri people and paid tributes to the great sacrifices of the martyrs. He also prayed for early recovery of the injured.

In a statement issued here yesterday, Shehbaz said that Indian Army had resorted to worst barbarism and savagery in occupied Kashmir and added that continued Indian atrocities have exposed the evil face of so-called Indian democracy. He said that unarmed civilians had illuminated candles of liberty with their blood in occupied Kashmir. There is no justification for criminal silence of international community over worst Indian aggression in occupied Kashmir, he added.  “In fact, Indian armed forces have crossed all limits of state-sponsored terrorism and the time has come that the international community should wake up from slumber and take notice of violations of human rights there. India must realize that people of occupied Kashmir cannot be deprived of their inalienable right to self-determination till late. Freedom is the right of Kashmiris which they must be given at every cost.

Pakistan will continue its political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people,” he said.

Also, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of recovery of body of a six-year-old girl from a locality near Sabzi Mandi in Jarranwala and sought a report from the Faisalabad capital city police officer. He directed the police to immediately investigate the matter and submit a report to him.