PML-N got rid Sindh of ‘Daku Raj’: Nawaz

Asks Sindh government to have a look at its performance; says performance not sloganeering will get votes; announces Rs1 bn and 100 power transformers for ‘neglected’ Jacobabad dist

JACOBABAD: Addressing a mammoth public meeting here on Friday, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif asked the PPP-led Sindh government to have a look at its performance. There was ‘Daku Raj’ in the province before the PML-N government came to power to restore law and order.

He said the masses would not vote for anyone for sloganeering but performance would be the criterion for their support in the next polls. He vowed that the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) would turn up victorious in the next polls on the basis of its performance.

“The people will reject those who just raise hollow slogans and do nothing for the progress and development of masses and the country.”Nawaz expressed dismay that no development work had been started in the province, particularly in the Jacobabad district. He questioned the provincial government why the people of the district were deprived of basic needs of life. He said the facilities that have been provided in Punjab should also be available to the people of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He reminded that the PML-N government had restored peace in Karachi.

He said now the federal government will complete the tasks that the provincial government had failed to complete. He said revolutionary steps will be taken for provision of basic facilities like clean drinking water and education in Jacobabad.

He said the government had started a number of projects in communication and energy sectors to meet the demands of the new era. He said the energy projects will help overcome the power loadshedding issue by the next year.

Nawaz announced a development grant of Rs1 billion and mega development projects like the electrification of villages, gas supply, women vocational training centre and a PASSCO centre for the neglected Jacobabad District. “For me, Jacobabad is the most deserving city for development funds. If Islamabad, Lahore or any other developed city is given Rs100 crore, Jacobabad deserves Rs200 crores.

The people of Jacobabad should also look prosperous like those of Lahore and Islamabad,” the prime minister said.The huge public gathering braved the sizzling weather to hear him as the mercury touched 48 Celsius here.

The prime minister was accompanied by Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for Political Affairs Dr. Syed Asif Saeed Kirmani, PML-N senior leader Elahi Bakhsh Soomro, Senators Rahila Magsi, Nihal Hashmi, Salim Zia and Marvi Memon.

He said the presence of such a huge crowd in scorching heat proved that the people of Sindh had pinned great hopes on the PML-N as the provincial government had failed to cope with their needs.

He questioned as to why the Sindh government had shattered the hopes of their people by failing to provide roads, schools and hospital and even clean drinking water.

He announced to provide 100 power transformers to cope with the district’s needs besides committing to launch his health insurance card scheme without any delay to provide medical treatment through both the government and private hospitals without any charges.

He said the approval in writing in this regard would also be given after returning to Islamabad.He also approved the demand of gas pipelines for Jacobabad.

As pointed out by the local party leader, the prime minister announced to fund the medical treatment of Pervaiz Ahmed, 30, suffering from blood cancer.He observed that the enthusiasm of the people of Jacobabad showed their disappointment from the provincial government.

As told by a party leader, he said it was deplorable that Jacobabad had the highest number of hepatitis B patients. Even in the 21st Century, the situation of Jacobabad looks 100 years old where nothing was changed, he added.

He said had the provincial government delivered, the people would not have pinned such hopes on him.“Time will change, Insha Allah. Now only sloganeering will not earn votes rather performance will bring about votes. Only the one feeling people’s pains deserves to be called the government,” he observed.

Nawaz Sharif said in its every tenure, the PML-N government prioritised the restoration of peace in country and exemplified Karachi situation that had been earlier crippled by gangsters, terrorism and chaos.

He wished just like revival of peace, the city had also witnessed development works which currently featured heaps of garbage.He said the federal government was carrying out development projects in Punjab, Balochistan and Islamabad which should also be replicated in Sindh and KP provinces.

He said Rs100 crore development fund would help provide drinking water, improve the flood-ravaged roads and other infrastructure projects in Jacobabad. He assured funds monitoring to ensure transparency. Nawaz Sharif said the people of Sindh would feel a clear difference visa-vis development by the federal government and the one by the Sindh government.

“We are building motorways, even in Sindh. We are installing power plants. Time is about to come when loadshedding will be completely ended,” he resolved.President PML-N Jacobabad Aslam Abro presented the traditional Sindhi Ajrak (shawl) and Sindhi cap to the prime minister as well as the other dignitaries.

Addressing the charged crowd, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq said the presence of thousands of  people had demonstrated their desire to get rid of the government of feudal lords in Sindh. He said it was only the PML-N leadership, not the PPP, which always came forward to support the flood-hit people of Sindh.

Referring to the Sindh chief minister’s warning to the federal government on gas supply issue, he said the Sindh government had 49 per cent share in Noori Abad Power Plant while a private owner had 51 per cent.

He questioned the gathering whether they knew who was the private owner and the crowd shouted ‘Zardari.’He said the provincial government was bound to give Rs1 billion guarantee prior to getting gas supply.

The minister said the PPP leadership had been fooling the people in the name of Zulfikar Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto but never delivered for people’s betterment.He said the Sindh government was hindering the construction of a 400-km portion of Motorway in the province, linking it with restoration of gas supply to the said power plant.

He said the PPP leadership compelled them to expose the real story behind the issue of gas supply.The railways minister said the PML-N would clean sweep the PPP in Sindh as the latter had launched green bus, water supply, motorways and other development projects in the province.