People are happy with Karachi operation,says prime minister

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that people were happy with the ongoing operation in Karachi, adding that incidents of kidnappings for ransom, target killings and extortion had receded to a new low and assured the masses that street crimes would also be controlled.
Addressing a public gathering in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir city of Bagh on Wednesday, he expressed concern over the bloodshed on the Line of Control (LoC)/ Working Boundary, and warned that it could destroy international peace.
“Our patience on ceasefire violations must not be taken as a sign of weakness. The bloodshed on the border may destroy global peace as the Pakistan Army is already fighting against terrorism to make the world more peaceful,” he said.
He vowed that it was the government’s mission to win the war against terror and give peace as a gift to the world. He warned India not to mistake Pakistan’s silence on the neighbouring country’s ceasefire violations as a sign of weakness.
The prime minister inaugurated 43 development projects worth Rs2.70 billion dealing with health, education and basic infrastructure that would benefit a population of over three million in the AJK. It includes a sports stadium, which has been constructed by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra).
He said that unprovoked firing by the Indian forces on the LoC and Working Boundary had taken the lives of many innocent civilians of the AJK and Pakistan, and Pakistan shall not forget their sacrifices. Declaring the wish for peace as the country’s greatest power, Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan had continuously informed the United Nations about the ceasefire violations by the Indian forces. He said the hearts of Pakistanis beat in unison with the Kashmiris. He said that the firing from across the LoC had also shaken the conscience of the international community. He termed such incidents as a threat to international peace and said Pakistan would continue to raise its voice against the human rights violations and atrocities at all international forums. He said Pakistani citizens and their properties have also been targeted along the Working Boundary.
The prime minister said Pakistan was playing an effective role against terrorism and it would continue its fight till the elimination of terrorism from its soil. He said all those supporting terrorism would also be dealt with.
He said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb was achieving successes and would continue till all its objectives were achieved. He said Pakistan would present the gift of peace to the international community.
He also announced a modern cardiac centre for Bagh. He said the local people have to travel long distances and assured such hospitals would also be established at other places in the AJK. He also directed the Punjab government to urgently build a quality road from Kotli Sattian to the Kalyari Bridge. He also announced the construction of a bridge over the River Jhelum in Khapdar.
Addressing a gathering at the newly-inaugurated Sports Complex, the prime minister said he was keen to see widespread development across the AJK. He said he would have been happier to invite the people of Bagh city so that they could personally see the efforts of the government being done for their well being. He promised the pace of development in the AJK would be speeded up and a string of schools, colleges, healthcare units and roads would spring up across the beautiful valleys and hills.
He mentioned that the newly-inaugurated projects would not only provide better services to the masses but would also create new jobs and opportunities for the people of the area. He said the water supply scheme in Bagh would be able to cater to the needs of the city for the next 30 years and said new roads, bridges and infrastructure would bring about a positive change in the lives of the common man.
Nawaz Sharif said that the Oct 8, 2005, earthquake devastated vast areas, but it also proved to be an opportunity to build better. He said Pakistan had no experience of coping with that calamity, but with courage and commitment, the people of Pakistan with the help of the armed forces and the international community rose to the challenge. He said that despite numerous challenges, his government was working with zeal to bring about a positive change. He assured the people that apart from schemes under the Erra, new projects would also be initiated. He recalled that his government undertook the building of the first Motorway from Lahore to Islamabad, with a vision to link the country with the Central Asian Republics, and said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would immensely benefit from the project. He said work was also underway for getting natural gas from Turkmenistan, under the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project. He said the issue of power shortages was also being addressed and expressed the hope it would end within the tenure of his government.
The prime minister said his previous and present governments were committed to serving the masses selflessly and not only improved the national economy but also strengthened its defence. He said now no country could dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan. He questioned the performance of the past governments on their inability to deliver and said the shortage of electricity and gas was hampering progress. He lauded the performance of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and said the country’s foreign exchange reserves had risen to record levels and all the economic indicators were positive.
Ch Barjees Tahir and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry were also present on the occasion.