CHIEF Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Ali Baba and Forty Thieves have brought the country of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal to its knees but the people are gearing up to teach the corrupt rulers a lesson in the forthcoming general election.

He said that as result of extreme loadshedding, industries of the province, agriculture and other sectors had been brought to a catastrophic end and hundreds of thousands of people had been rendered jobless. He said the country was facing the worst loadshedding in its history and people had to bear agonizing loadshedding even during the times of Iftar and Sehr but the conscienceless rulers were unmoved.

He was talking to delegations of people and workers of the PML-N from Green Town, Township and other adjoining areas in his camp office on Monday.

Shahbaz said that in order to shake the rulers’ sleeping conscience, he had established a tent office to point out that Punjab was being discriminated against regarding loadshedding and the incompetent rulers of the country had vexed the nation with their plunder. He said he would sacrifice every drop of his blood for the masses and would go to any extreme for the solution to their problems. He vowed to continue facing the difficulties for the sake of the people and was not afraid of the scorching heat.

The chief minister said that if even the rulers mended their ways, the country could still be transformed in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal. He pointed out that bribe worth billions of rupees was gobbled up in rental power projects whereas highhandedness was being committed against Punjab by handing over the earnings of profit-giving companies of Punjab to those companies which were going in loss.

The CM said people were mentally disturbed because of the painful loadshedding. He lamented that two projects at Chicho ki Malian and Nandipur for generating 900 megawatt electricity could not be made operational because of incompetence and corruption of the federal government and the machinery imported for installation of the projects was lying in Karachi for over one and half years while the Chinese company had gone back home. He said the projects had cost Rs70 billion but they were still un-operational and now in order reactivate them an amount of Rs20 billion more would be needed whereas two more years would be lost.

Ramazan bazaars: Shahbaz Sharif has directed the assembly members to conduct regular visits to Ramazan bazaars and, in case of rain, make arrangements for removal of rainwater in collaboration with Wasa. He said the elected representatives could earn the blessings of Allah by solving problems of the masses during Ramazan.

The chief minister was talking to assembly members and senior officers of the district administration while presiding over a meeting at Arfa Karim Software Technology Park here on Monday.

He directed the assembly members to visit Ramazan bazaars to check quality and prices of essential items and save the people from hoarders and profiteers.

Public service: Shahbaz Sharif has said that the pivot of politics of PML-N is service to the masses and billions of rupees are being spent on education, health and other basic facilities for the people.

He said Pakistan had made tremendous economic development and became nuclear power during the previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-N. He said that those party workers who faced imprisonment during the dictatorial era were the party’s precious asset and their proposals for strengthening the party and public welfare projects would be welcomed.