Nawaz to be next PM, says Shehbaz

FAISALABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday said if the people gave the PMLN a five-year mandate in the coming election, Nawaz Sharif would be the prime minister and he would put Pakistan back on the path of development and prosperity.

He said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the construction of Satyana Interchange on the M-4 Motorway.

Shehbaz said ‘Kashkol’ would be broken and its parts would be sent to Banigala adding that Pakistan would definitely stand on its feet but it could not be done overnight by witchcraft.

“Under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, we will give laptops to millions of children all over Pakistan and make millions of acres of barren agricultural land cultivable,” he said.

The prime minister said Pakistan was on the path of development in 2017 but Nawaz Sharif was removed from power through a conspiracy, led by the then chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar.

He said Nawaz Sharif’s name was not in the Panama Papers, yet he was disqualified for Iqama.

“I told those who brought Imran Niazi to power that you are trying every trick to bring him in but when he will show you his true face, you will see Nawaz Sharif as an angel,” he added.

Explaining the increase in electricity tariff, he said no increase had been made for the consumers using up to 200 units making up 55 percent of the total consumers.

“This increase had to be done due to the agreement with the IMF,” he justified.

He further said PDM chief Fazlur Rahman was their longtime partner and PMLN was the JUI’s natural ally.

The prime minister said after stealing and selling the Toshakhana gifts, why those who pocketed the money did not deposit 190 million pounds they received from Britain in the national treasury.

Addressing the people, he said, “You have to decide whether to make Nawaz Sharif the prime minister or to listen to fraudsters. You need to take revenge for the fraud and rigging of 2018 with the power of your vote in the 2023 election and make the candidates of PMLN 100% successful.”

He said the previous government kept poisoning the country’s politics day and night but did nothing for public welfare.

“They were brought to power through rigging and the people of PMLN from south Punjab were forcefully sent to Banigala. An incompetent person sat in power for four years but there was not even an iota of development countrywide,” Shehbaz said while referring to the PTI.

He said Imran broke the agreement with the IMF due to which the entire burden had to be handled by the PDM government.

Shehbaz said Imran put obstacles in the way of agreement with the IMF and told his finance ministers in two provinces not to write to the IMF. He assured the nation that Pakistan no longer faced the threat of default.

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, Federal Minister for Communications Maulana Saeed Ahmed Asad, Federal Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, and other ministers, advisers, MNAs, senators, local officials and workers of Muslim League were also present on this occasion.

APP adds: Meanwhile, in a tweet, the prime minister said under his direction, a campaign titled ‘Sehatmand Ghiza, Tandrusti Sadaa (Healthy diet, Health Forever) was being launched all over Pakistan that would help consumers get information about the food ingredients served to them.

He said under the drive, every restaurant would inform the consumers about the total calories included in the foodstuff.

The prime minister observed that public health was closely related to the provision of a clean and healthy diet.

“It was their right to learn about the food ingredients with which they were served so that they could choose food items on the basis of better and clear information.”

He said this extensive campaign was being carried out across Pakistan by the Strategic Reforms Unit in collaboration with food authorities in all the provinces.

In another tweet posted in the Urdu language, he further said complete nutritional information under the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) would be published on packaged food items.

Besides, trans-fat acids were being reduced to 2 percent to prevent heart and other related diseases, he added.

In yet another tweet, Shehbaz reiterated his resolve to eradicate the economic woes of the people, poverty and inflation from the country.

The prime minister thanked Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi for extending relief to the provincial government employees and pensioners on the increase in salaries and pensions and bringing them on a par with the federal government employees and pensioners.

He also congratulated the Punjab government employees for an increase of 35 percent in salaries and 17.5 percent increase in pensions. By doing it, the prime minister said, the caretaker chief minister earned the prayers of millions of government employees and pensioners.