It’s time to hold looters accountable: Shahbaz

Tells APNS delegation that SC verdict on Panama Papers to be accepted; Nawaz has no link with the issue; Operation Raddul Fasaad backed by entire nation

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the final of Pakistan Super League (PSL) was a mega event which was made successful through joint efforts of the whole nation. The Punjab chief minister expressed these views while talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), which called on him under the leadership of APNS President Sarmad Ali.

Shahbaz Sharif said: “The Punjab government had full support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for the holding of final match. The nation is happy while enemy is surprised as well as disappointed over the success of the final match. The recent wave of terrorism was spread in the whole of country. Under these circumstances, it was an extremely difficult decision to hold the final match in Lahore.

“Through the success of the final match, the Pakistani nation has proved that it is the bravest nation. The terrorists cannot weaken the commitment of this nation through their nefarious designs. Media also played a key role in organising the final match and countered the critics with logic. The Punjab government provided best facilities to cricket lovers inside and outside the stadium on the occasion of final match and I congratulate the whole nation on the success of this event. We will have to work with same zeal, commitment and courage to move Pakistan forward. The whole nation supports Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad launched to eliminate terrorism. The Pak Army, police, security agencies and the people have rendered innumerable sacrifices in war against terrorism. After operation Zarb-e-Azb, the Radd-ul-Fasaad operation will hit the terrorists hard.”

He said it was regrettable that terrorists coming from neighbouring country Afghanistan carry out terrorist activities here. “The suicide bomber who exploded himself in Lahore belonged to Afghanistan. We want good relations with Afghanistan and I appeal to the Afghan government to take serious steps against the terrorists.”

He said, “PM Nawaz Sharif has no relation with Panama [Papers], nor is he a trustee. On the other side, there are people who plundered the national resources and their sixty million dollars are deposited in Swiss banks. When the Supreme Court directed the then PM to write letter to the Swiss authorities about this money, the then PM instead of following the court directions allied with the party, due to which he was de-seated.”

Shahbaz said that the court had given verdict on the issue of Nandipur. “The elements responsible for corruption in Nandipur give lectures about eradication of corruption on TV channels. The court has held the then law minister Babar Awan responsible on the issue of Nandipur. He is the person who plundered national money,” he said. “People fully know about the NIC scandal and rental power projects and decisions have been announced in this regard. Time has come to bring the looters of hard-earned money of poor to accountability so that the things should be crystal clear. If this is happened, then the history of Pakistan would be different. If the issue is put under the carpet, then no one would remember us.”

The Punjab chief minister further said that Punjab government sacrificed a lot for the approval of NFC Award and the Punjab government was sacrificing 11 billion of its share every year.

The Punjab chief minister said that the representatives of APNS from all over Pakistan were congregated in the hall. “It is an honour to talk with the representatives of APNS coming from different regions including Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan,” Shahbaz Sharif said. “Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad is carried out without any discrimination of colour or ethnicity. The terrorists have no religion and geographical identity. The people playing with the lives of innocent people are only terrorists. I am first Pakistani and then Khadim-e-Punjab. This is our approach and vision and nobody should have any confusion about it.”

The chief minister further said: “The people of all the federating units are interconnected and we will have to work collectively to eradicate terrorism. Our joys and sorrows are common. Pakistan consists of Balochistan, Sindh, KPK, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and we are all Pakistanis. Any division in it would be against the national interests of Pakistan.”

He said that people from across the country including Sindhis, Punjabis, Pakhtuns and Balochis reside in Karachi. “Similarly, people from different federating units dwell in Punjab. We own Pakistan and we will have to develop it,” he asserted.

Shahbaz said that during a meeting under the chair of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the regime of Pakistan People’s Party, the then interior minister Rehman Malik talked about Punjabi Taliban. “To which, I said that no one would deny if there are sleepers cells of terrorists present in Punjab. Similarly, there are sleeper cells in other provinces. Would the terrorists in Sindh be called Sindhi Taliban and the terrorists in Balochistan labelled as Balochi Taliban? The people playing with the innocent lives have no relation with any cast, colour or creed. They are only terrorists,” the chief minister remarked.

The chief minister said that due to day and night work on energy projects, the energy crisis was about to end. “Ending energy crisis was a big challenge, which required hard work. Now, serious efforts taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have started bearing fruits. Loadshedding would come to an end once and for all from the country in 2018,” he claimed. “China has proved her friendship by investing $54 billion in Pakistan. New records are going to be set by transparent and fast track completion of energy projects. Energy projects are directly related with prosperity and development of every Pakistani.”

He said that CPEC is a game changer which would benefit the whole of region. “Friends are happy while the enemy is afraid of the CPEC project. The fast track completion of CPEC has made the opponents bewildered. Utmost efforts were made to lessen the importance of CPEC,” he said. “CPEC is an investment of time-tested friendly country China and $36 billion are being spent on energy projects. Despite the fear created by politicians indulged in sit-ins, China invested in Pakistan and proved this quote as true that Pak-China friendship is taller than Himalayas, sweeter than honey, deeper than sea and stronger than iron. New records of transparent and speedy completion of energy projects are being set and it is evident that the projects under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are so transparent that they don’t have any resemblance.” Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that China was a dear friend who never demanded ‘do more.’ “It wanted progress of Pakistan and its people,” he said. The chief minister said that the issue of Panama was in the court and the verdict of the Supreme Court would be accepted.

While replying to questions, the chief minister said that Karachi was the mega city of Pakistan and we would jointly restore its magnificence. He said that the Centre had provided funds for the development of Sindh. “The federal government is sponsoring the Green Light project in Karachi. We are happy because development in Karachi would make Pakistan progress. On the other side, the Punjab government completed metro bus service from its own resources and now metro train project is being completed with own resources as well,” he said. “The federal government provided 50 percent funds for water project in Karachi. We own Pakistan and we would be happy if the centre shares development in other provinces.” To a question about Rangers’ operation in Punjab, the CM said that the Pak Army and Rangers were custodians of geographical boundaries. “Strengthening of civil institutions is need of the time so that the Pak Army and Rangers could protect the borders and they may not be called in,” he said.

The APNS delegation commended the development in Punjab as well as government’s transparent policies. APNS President Sarmad Ali said, “Today, we have not brought any issue because nothing is unsettled. Our all problems are solved by you and they are best implemented. The DGPR department in Punjab is working in a professional way under the leadership of DGPR Raja Jahangir Anwar and it’s a role model for the whole of country. You and your team have successfully held PSL final in Lahore and I congratulate you on the behalf of APNS.”

APNS Secretary General Umer Mujeeb Shami said, “Punjab is lucky to have such a ruler having such an impeccable integrity. The Punjab government has set examples of transparency which have been commended by international institutions. Corruption is zero at upper level in Punjab while best efforts are being made for eradication of corruption at the lower level. The transparent policies of government have been commended everywhere.”

Zia Shahid said that the credit of development in Punjab should rightly be given to Shahbaz Sharif. APNS member Amir Mehmood said, “You speak from the heart and have a commitment to do something. When we come to Lahore from Karachi, we feel as if we have come to another country; you have changed the province of Punjab. The government is working actively to establish corruption-free society.”

Provincial Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Advisor Muhammad Ahmad Khan, MPA Uzma Zahid Bukhari and APNS representatives were present on the occasion.