I haven’t seen a glimpse of ‘new KP’ in two years: PM

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said that he hadn’t seen a glimpse of the ‘new Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ during the last two years.
In a speech to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers, office-bearers and activists at the Governor’s House, Peshawar, Nawaz Sharif said his government will make the best Pakhtunkhwa.
“I make a promise and deliver it. I don’t break my promises. I do whatever is useful for Pakistan,” he maintained. Vowing to wipe out terrorism from the country, Nawaz said both the Zarb-e-Azb operation in North Waziristan and the action in Karachi had yielded encouraging results.
“We are committed to eliminating terrorists and criminals with full force and will not rest till the elimination of the last terrorist. No armed militia will be allowed to operate in the country,” he said.
“The operation in Karachi is not against any specific group or party. It is against the target killers and criminal elements,” he stressed. Senators, MNAs, MPAs and office-bearers belonging to the ruling PML-N from KP attended the event. Slogans were raised in support of the prime minister and PML-N.
The prime minister said an improved economy was most important because this would create better employment opportunities for the people and play a crucial role in eliminating terrorism from the country. He said the government was taking all the steps possible to overcome the energy shortfall in the country and the day was not far when the nation would hear good news in this regard.
“The economy is heavily dependent on energy and by overcoming this challenge we will see an improvement in industrial and agricultural sectors. This will also allow the government to increase spending on the social sector to facilitate the common man,” he added.
Nawaz said due to the effective economic policies of the government and its untiring efforts, tangible results were being achieved which were being recognised by the international rating agencies as well as the world media. “This ray of hope has served to improve Pakistan’s standing in the comity of nations and building the confidence of international investors,” the premier added.
He said the PML-N government believed in the politics of consensus and tolerance and had been taking all the political parties along on all matters of national importance.The prime minister said his government had initiated the policy of improving relations with the neighbouring countries, particularly Afghanistan. “This has helped us in destroying the networks of terrorists in both the countries. This will help us achieve a stable and prosperous region,” he maintained.
He also mentioned the proposed Peshawar-Kabul Motorway that his government intended to build to facilitate the people on both sides of the Durand Line, generate jobs and economic activity and bring the Afghans and Pakistanis closer.
The PML-N lawmakers apprised the prime minister of matters relating to their areas. The party matters in the KP also came under discussion.The premier was informed that the PTI-led provincial government was not taking interest in development projects or in providing basic facilities of life to the people.
Those who attended the meeting included Senators Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Lt Gen (retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi and Sardar Javid Abbasi, MNAs Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, Danyal Aziz, Omar Ayub Khan, Dr Ibadullah and Tahira Bukhari, and party leaders Pir Sabir Shah, Sarzameen Khan and Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti.
KP Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Defence and Water and Power, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Ameer Muqam, Adviser to Prime Minister, and Dr Asif Kirmani, Political Secretary to Prime Minister, also attended the meeting.
APP adds: The prime minister said all those who had killed each other on sectarian grounds had no place in Pakistan and vowed that the law of land would take its due course to take such people to task.
He said he would soon be visiting all cities and districts of KP. He said he was proud to head a party that had changed the economic situation of the country in a short span of 20 months.The premier said the internally displaced persons (IDPs) would soon return to their homes with dignity and honour and assured construction of schools and colleges in the far-off places.