People will throw out those hindering development: Nawaz

Says PML-N building a new Pakistan; rejects ministry’s proposal
for rise in POL prices; another Rs2.50 cut in power tariff in the pipeline; announces over Rs5 bn projects and grants including construction of six-lane Havelian-Thakot Motorway

MANSEHRA: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday ruled out the possibility of mid-term polls saying the government would approach the masses for their verdict after completing development projects in the remaining two years.

Addressing his first-ever public gathering in the rival PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the wake of the recent upheaval, Nawaz warned that the people would throw out his opponents if they continued with their ‘evil designs’ to subvert his government’s development efforts.

The prime minister, who was in a jubilant mood, announced over Rs5 billion projects for the area and grants including construction of the six-lane Havelian-Thakot Motorway. He addressed a huge gathering in Dhudial adjacent to the Hazara University. The areas people were waving flags of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and its youth wing.

Nawaz vowed not to let anyone sabotage the government’s agenda of people’s development and warned his political opponents of a strong reaction of the masses. “I want to tell the conspirators that if they create hurdles in the way of Pakistan’s development, the masses will throw them out.”

Nawaz came to the area to perform the ground-breaking of the Havelian-Thakot section of the Hazara Motorway and three projects for the supply of gas to the area.Nawaz announced thatkeeping in view the masses’ difficulties, he had rejected a proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum for enhancing the prices of petroleum products. “This decision will cost the national exchequer a deficit of Rs8 billion, but I thought about your betterment and prosperity,” he remarked.

He told the gathering that the government had reduced the price of electricity and further reduction of rupees two-and-a-half per kilowatt was in the pipeline.Earlier, Capt Muhammad Safdar, MNA, and President PML-N (Youth) who belongs to Mansehra got an undertaking by the crowd that each of them would surround Bani Gala if the PTI staged a sit-in at Raiwind.

Nawaz maintained that he hadn’t unleashed any political campaign but was on a voyage of development. He reminded his political opponents to fully ponder the consequences before taking any steps, as the masses were not prepared to tolerate any hurdle in the way of development.

The prime minister said the government had earlier started work on the construction of Burhan-Havelian section of the Hazara Motorway and now in the second phase, work on the Motorway from Havelian to Shinkiari was being started. He said this motorway, a six-lane project, was not less in quality as compared with the Lahore-Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway. He said due to the construction of this motorway project, the travel time from Burhan to Shinkiari will be reduced from five hours to less than one-and-a-half hours, benefiting the people of the area a lot.

Nawaz said the PML-N doesn’t believe in “mere slogans” but actions, as all the mega projects in the KP, including the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway, were initiated by the PML-N governments. He said the PML-N did not have its government in KP but it was still launching various development projects in the province.

He said a new Pakistan was being built by the PML-N. He said the PML-N believed in serving the masses and not in slogans, adding that the people would themselves question those who had raised only slogans.

The prime minister said when the PML-N government would complete its remaining two years in power in 2018, the people would see a prosperous Pakistan in the shape of an end to electricity shortages and elimination of loadshedding.

Nawaz Sharif mentioned the ground-breaking of the Havelian-Thakot section of Hazara Motorway project and said, “I do not just cut ribbons but inaugurate the completed projects.”He said due to the government’s policies, inflation had been curtailed and with several industrial units being installed across the country, Pakistan had been put on the path of progress and its economy was in the take-off position.

The prime minister said water reservoirs and power projects including Bhasha Dam, Dasu Dam, and Tarbela Dam would generate hundreds of megawatts of electricity.Nawaz Sharif, who also inaugurated the gas supply pipeline of 12-inch diameter, said the pipeline would benefit the people of Oghi, Pakhal, Tanawal and Balakot and would be extended upto Kaghan and Naran to discourage deforestation.

He said these were billions of rupees projects, adding, when it comes to public service, even billions of rupees had no worth.He announced Rs1 billion for the Hazara University in addition to the amount of Rs660 million granted by the federal government for the university. He also directed the authorities concerned for reconstruction of houses damaged in the 2005 earthquake.

The prime minister announced Rs200 million grants for the purchase of a graveyard land by the district government for Mansehra and surrounding areas besides another Rs200 million for electrification in Kala Dhaka.