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Thursday March 28, 2024

Call ex-rulers to account, Nawaz asks people

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
March 28, 2017

Says heaps of garbage and pollution in Karachi; peace returning to port city as investors are no more meeting in Dubai; announces university, PM Healthcare Insurance Scheme, international airport and metro bus service for Hyderabad city

HYDERABAD: In a frontal attack on his rivals without taking anyone’s name, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Monday urged the people to make the previous rulers accountable for their apathy towards projects like extension of motorway from Lahore to Karachi and launch of more power projects to cope with the growing electricity needs to avoid loadshedding.

“People should take decision on the basis of performance and merit in the next year’s polls so that development becomes order of the day in the province. Sindh, Karachi and Hyderabad have been ruined.”

He was addressing a workers convention of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) at the Qasim auditorium here. Enthusiastic workers raised slogans in favour of prime minister during the speech and on arrival of the prime minister at the auditorium.

He spent a hectic day in thesecond largest city of the province and had detailed meetings with the people belonging to a cross-section of the society. Former governor and chief minister Mumtaz Ali Bhutto was among the leaders who received and had a meeting with Nawaz at the residence of Senator Raheela Magsi.

It was Nawaz Sharif’s third visit to Sindh in less than two weeks. He announced establishment of a university, launch of Prime Minister Healthcare Insurance Scheme, an international airport with the facilities of traveling for Haj and Umra pilgrims and metro bus service for Hyderabad city.

He announced Rs500 million for the development and upgradation of Hyderabad city. Hyderabad would be linked soon with the rest of country through a network of six-lane motorways, providing speedy access.

Announcing an initial grant of Rs1,000 million for the university, the prime minister also directed the Passco to increase its purchase of wheat crop from Sindh from previous 80,000 tons to 100,000 tons.

The prime minister accepted Senator Raheela Magsi’s demand of providing electricity to as many villages as needed besides supplying Sui gas to the area. He assured the residents of Hyderabad that survey teams would soon visit the city for data collection and then he along with programme in-charge Maryam Nawaz would come there to hand over health cards to the needy.

He apologized to the workers, who had to return without hearing him owing to the shortage of space at the rendezvous and assured them that he would again visit to meet them keeping in view their enthusiasm and passion.

“Pakistan is changing. A new Pakistan is in the making. The government has broken the back of terrorists and peace is returning in Karachi with business activity reviving and labourers working in a peaceful atmosphere,’ he said.

He said Hyderabad had also been purged of terrorists, who were now on the run and reiterated his resolve to eliminate terrorism root and branch. He said peace was also restoring in Balochistan where a vast network of roads was being constructed.

He said the country would soon get rid of unemployment, poverty and illiteracy, and medical treatment facilities would be made available for everyone owing to massive development going on under the CPEC.

He said Hyderabad would also benefit from that development as the city had earlier been deprived of clean drinking water with its road infrastructure in a shambles. He said economic zones would also be developed throughout the country besides establishing colleges and universities.

He reminded that today heaps of garbage and pollution featured Karachi city and recalled its previous condition when there had been complete peace with massive economic activities taking place.

“Peace is again returning to Karachi as investors are back to hold their business meetings there which had earlier been switched to Dubai due to law and order situation.” Nawaz Sharif said the motorway network could not be expanded from Lahore since 1999; however, his government took up the task and now motorways were being built throughout the country.

He said loadshedding had remarkably decreased and reiterated his resolve to eliminate it completely by next year. He said during the electioneering people should question the leaders of previous ruling parties as to what they had done to Sindh and the country and plunged it into darkness.

"This is a very valid question. After this, you must decide as to who deserves your vote," he urged the people. The workers were carrying party flags and placards inscribed with pro-Nawaz Sharif slogans.

The prime minister said he had witnessed a great enthusiasm in Thatta, Balochistan, Punjab and even Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during his visits but the enthusiasm in Hyderabad was exemplary.

"This enthusiasm seems to be prelude to a change," he remarked. Earlier addressing the convention, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said the PML-N had made its presence felt in the province as the political party, which had been given the mandate to serve the masses and alleviate their sufferings, had miserably failed.

The PML-N had emerged on the provincial scene to provide alternate leadership to the masses in Sindh, he added. Dr Raheela Magsi said record development activities were being carried out during the tenure of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Welcoming the prime minister to Hyderabad on behalf of the people of the city, she said besides improving the country's ties with other states in the region, the PML-N government had put the country on track of progress after tackling all challenges. She particularly lauded the government's steps for uplift of the agriculture sector and road infrastructure.