JACOBABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday announced development grant of Rs 1 billion and mega development projects like electrification of villages, gas supply, women vocational training centre and a Passco centre for Jacobabad district.

Addressing a public gathering in Jacobabad, the PM said: “For me, Jacobabad is the most deserving city. If Islamabad, Lahore or any other developed city is given Rs 1 billion as development funds, Jacobabad deserves Rs 2 billion. The people of Jacobabad should also look prosperous like those of Lahore and Islamabad,” the prime minister said.

He said the presence of such a huge crowd in the scorching heat proved the people of Sindh had pinned great hopes on the PML-N as the provincial government had failed to meet their needs.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif criticised the Sindh government for its ‘failure’ to address the people’s problems concerning basic necessities and services. He said he felt dejected over the poor performance of the Sindh government and added the people of Jacobabad were facing a lot of difficulties and had been deprived of basic amenities, including clean drinking water, lack of education, better health facilities and development work. He claimed that his government had maintained peace and tranquility in rural and urban Sindh in 1991 and started an operation against dacoits. He added he believed in peace and tranquility and the federal government had taken bold steps for peace and started operation against terrorists and antisocial elements in Karachi as well as other parts of Sindh.

He announced a health package in Jacobabad, which includes issuance of health cards for local residents and said the people of the district would not have to go anywhere else for treatment and get free treatment at private and government hospitals near their homes. He announced Rs one billion for the construction of hospitals, educational institutes, development works, modern vocational training for women and 100 electric transformers. The PM also announced that he himself would bear all the treatment expenses of Pervaiz Ali, a cancer patient of the area.

The premier also announced to provide gas and power connections to outskirts of Jacobabad district. The PM said Sindh would be provided with motorways and development works would continue in the province.

Federal Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq strongly criticised the Sindh government and claimed PPP would be defeated in the general elections, to be held in 2018, due to its poor performance because the people of Sindh would give votes on the basis of performance and development works.

Khawaja Saad Rafique further said if the Sindh government wanted to get SSGC connection for Nooriabad Power Company, it would have to submit security deposit. He pointed out the government had only 49 percent shares while 51 percent shares in the company were owned by private persons. He recalled PML-N distributed agricultural lands amongst poor formers and helped flood-affected people during super flood in Sindh.

PML-N Sindh President Babu Sarfraz Jatoi offered Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to contest from Larkana for NA seat in the larger interest of the people.

Earlier, PM Nawaz Sharif was warmly welcomed at Shahbaz airbase, Jacobabad, by Aslam Abro who was the host of the public gathering. Senior politician Elahi Bux Soomro, State Minister/BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon, Asif Kirmani, Nehal Hashmi, Shah Muhammad Shah, Jam Mashooque Ali, Chaudhry Tariq, Sardar Sajjad Hussain Buledi, Dr Qamar Rajpar, Dr Bashir Ahmed Brohi and other leaders were also present on the occasion.