LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who was elected unopposed as the PML-N Punjab president in the intra-party elections held on Wednesday, said Imran Khan was talking about corruption but the people on his left and right got loans written off and grabbed land worth billions of rupees around Lahore.
He said the sit-ins were aimed only at creating hurdles in the development process. “These people are also against CPEC and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister has proved it by speaking against CPEC.”
Addressing the PML-N’s provincial council at the Expo Centre, Shahbaz questioned why Imran did not speak about the land mafia. He said the conspiracies to lockdown Islamabad would fail, adding the attempts to hinder the process of prosperity of the common man and development of the country were bound to fail.
The chief minister said all the development ventures – including Metro Bus, Orange Line, Safe City Project and energy projects – were an example of transparency.“If corruption of even a single penny is proved against me in these projects, I will quit politics and apologise,” he reiterated his stance.
Shahbaz said the real face of the enemies of progress had been exposed in the case against the Orange Line project in the Lahore High Court, which included the PTI, Q-League and other political elements.“The people know that the PTI is against this project aimed at the benefitting children, teachers, lawyers, labourers, widows, orphans and poor.”
The chief minister also requested the Supreme Court to form a full bench and review the allegations. If Imran was able to prove his corruption allegations against him or his leader Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he would leave politics forever and apologise to the masses, he promised.
He said the Orange Line was a project of China which had so far given Rs45 billion out of Rs150 billion. He said the project was for the entire country but the enemies of the progress of Pakistan were making hue and cry and opposing it.
Shahbaz said China was a sincere friend and there had been no other example that any country gave a historic package of $46 billion dollars for the progress of Pakistan. He noted that the future generations of Pakistan would also be thankful to China which helped Pakistan during a difficult period.
He also reminded the audience that the PTI was also opposing Kisan Package as it had no interest in development of agriculture sector and prosperity of farmers. Shahbaz said Pakistan was making rapid progress and the country’s destiny was going to change during the next 18 months. He added that the PML-N would move forward under the prime minister’s leadership and complete the journey of public service successfully.
He thanked Allah Almighty and expressed his gratitude to those who elected unopposed Nawaz as the PML-N president and reposed their confidence by electing him as the president of the party’s Punjab chapter.
On the occasion, other party office bearers were also elected unopposed who are: Malik Nadeem Kamran (senior vice-president), Arshad Khan and Nighat Parveen (vice-presidents), Mian Marghoob Ahmad (secretary finance) and Samiullah Chaudhry (secretary information).
A large number of leaders and activists from across Punjab had gathered at the Expo Centre to pledge their support in the leadership of Shahbaz. A heavy contingent of police was deployed at venue with every person being frisked at different points.
Federal ministers Pervaiz Rashid and Ahsan Iqbal, provincial ministers, parliamentarians, PML-N office-bearers of PML-N and a large number of members of provincial council were present on the occasion.
The provincial council also approved five resolutions during the meeting that reaffirmed full support to Nawaz while expressing gratitude to him for highlighting the Kashmir issue at UN General Assembly and condemned the Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir, demanding India to withdraw army from the disputed territory.
