CHICHAWATNI - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the entire country is progressing except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where his rival political party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf is in power.
The PML-N government and opposition parties will be audited by the electorate at the end of the five-year term of the present setup, he told a public meeting here at the Rai Ali Nawaz Stadium yesterday afternoon.
People were turning away from the PTI as it had failed to deliver, he claimed, and ridiculed Imran Khan’s party for what he said was its utter failure to achieve the New Pakistan vision.
The PTI leaders, saying goodbye to the eastern traditions, don’t know how to deal with the elders and minors, Nawaz said. Its leaders, he said, were levelling baseless allegations against the PML-N.
The ruling party lawmakers from various constituencies were also present and the prime minister named them all one by one. He also announced various development schemes for the area, an exercise normally carried out just before elections to win public support.
The prime minister was beaming with confidence and looked absolutely relaxed, ostensibly, because of the normalisation of civil-military relations after months of tensions caused by the Dawn leak.
The ISPR has withdrawn the tweet, seen as an attempt to challenge the authority of the constitutionally all-powerful prime minister. The government, on its part, has issued a notification which satisfies the military leadership.
The Panama Papers case is the only challenge facing the PML-N leadership now. And if the Sharifs got a clean chit, way would be paved for a long PML-N rule.
The Joint Investigation Team constituted by the Supreme Court to find answers to about a dozen questions regarding the Sharifs assets has already started working and, if everything goes according to schedule, it would submit its report in 60 days.
In his address, the prime minister compared the state of development in Punjab, where his brother Shehbaz Sharif has been in power for the last nine years, with the situation in KP.
Schools, roads and hospitals in KP are in very poor condition, reflective of the ‘New Pakistan’ promised by the PTI leadership, he said sarcastically. Anyone wanting to see PTI’s New Pakistan must visit Peshawar, he added.
The prime minister said even in the province being governed by those known for sit-ins, roads were being constructed by the PML-N government.
Nawaz Sharif said his government had done a lot for the welfare of the farmers. The prices of urea, DAP had been reduced substantially and the power tariff for irrigation tube wells had also been brought down. Farm-to-market roads were being constructed which would benefit the farming community.
Now he said all efforts were being made to increase power generation. He said loadshedding would be banished for good in 2018.
About the law and order situation, the prime minister said terrorism was on its way out. “We have knocked out terrorists”.
The party enthusiasts waved party flags, raised slogans and danced to the tune of party songs, throughout the speech.
Development Projects
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif landed in a public school on his chopper and directly moved to perform ground breaking of a Rs230 million Model Cattle Market that would benefit 80,000 livestock farmers, where they would also get facility for veterinary services.
The market being developed by Cattle Market Management Company would generate an estimated Rs12 billion revenue.
Later the PM went to Rai Ali Nawaz Stadium to address the public gathering where he announced Rs600 million development package for Chichawatni tehsil.
The PM announced provision of natural gas to NA-162 and NA-163 constituents. “I will soon return to Chichawatni to perform ground breaking for the provision of gas, a gift, especially for the women of the area.”
He announced connecting Chichawatni through an expressway to newly-constructed six-lane Lahore-Multan Motorway. He said this will enable the people to reach Lahore in less than three hours.
Nawaz Sharif also announced a grant of Rs 250 million for development and beautification of Chichawatni city and Rs100 million for the power supply system.
He announced establishment of a veterinary university campus, initiation of classes for masters programme in Government Crescent Women Degree College and Government Boys Degree College, and upgradation of technical and vocational institution in Chichawatni.