Says rivals don’t want to witness development and are only interested in lying, creating chaos and leveling accusations; they always talked about a new Pakistan but turned KP into
an old Pakistan; power will not vanish again once it comes; PML-N to inflict heavy defeat on opponents in next polls
LAYYAH: Undaunted by the opposition’s onslaught, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday reminded his detractors that a herd of one hundred jackals was no match for a lion.
Without naming any political opponent, he was referring to the offensive of the opposition against the government. “Every Muslim Leaguer is a lion and the Leaguers will inflict a heavy defeat upon their opponents in the polls,” he said while addressing a mammoth gathering here at the Sports Complex amid scorching heat.
He announced several development schemes for the area, including introduction of Health Card for the poor, amid thunderous applause. It was his second public interaction in the wake of PanamaLeaks verdict by a five-member bench of the Supreme Court.
The charged crowd raised slogans in support of Nawaz Sharif again and again. At one point in time, they roared “Ro Imran ro.” Nawaz said the country was marching on the path of progress and prosperity and rejected the politics of mud-slinging and blame game being practised by his opponents.
Taking a veiled jibe at the PTI, the premier said his political rivals did not want to witness the country’s development and were only interested in “lying, creating chaos and leveling accusations”.
“You were rejected in the 2013 elections and this gathering is a sign of victory for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the 2018 polls. You always talked about a new Pakistan but you have actually turned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into an old Pakistan, rather worse than that.”
Nawaz said he considered politics service to people and will continue to serve them with devotion and dedication. Earlier, he performed the ground-breaking of Rs7 billion Layyah-Taunsa Bridge.
The prime minister said all areas of economy were progressing as the government was equally focusing on them. He appreciated what he described as the "one-mile-long gathering" and said he was shocked to see empty chairs in the recent "jalsi" -- a minuscule gathering of his opponents.
Over 10 such 'mini public gatherings' could be accommodated in today's PML-N gathering, he added. The people, he said, had rejected such leaders in the general election 2013 and today's gathering was a reflection of the way things would turn up in 2018.
Nawaz said had there been no tent, the opposition would have been shocked to see the mammoth gathering. The "sea of people" had come out to support the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and his government.
The prime minister said he was in Layyah to launch a new string of development programmes. He said when he came to power, he had promised an end to loadshedding and initiated a number of power projects and added he had already inaugurated a few while many them were nearing completion.
"By next year we will add 10,000MWs to the national grid. It will not only be abundant, but also cheap," he added. He said for the farmers, the prices of Urea and DAP fertilizers had already been reduced, which would be further dropped in the coming days.
Nawaz named the parliamentarians of the area and appreciated their dedication and devotion, saying they were his friends. "Once a friend is a friend forever," he added.
He said the enemies of Pakistan did not want to see completion of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as they were against development, employment opportunities, construction of roads and bridges, and an end to loadshedding.
He said: "Our opponents’ agenda is only to level baseless allegations, telling lies and creating chaos as is evident from their daily tirade of accusations and lies besides use of dirty language. However, we never stoop to such low levels."
If the opponents had any courage, they should nominate a candidate for contesting an election from there and then they would have got the candidate's surety bond confiscated, he added.
“We don’t just inaugurate projects, we complete them too,” the premier remarked. Reiterating his promise to end power loadshedding from the country, Prime Minister Nawaz said his government was working to ensure uninterrupted power supply to every household in the country.
“We had promised that we will eliminate once and for all loadshedding and we have made operational the power houses to ensure electricity is produced,” he said, adding that more power houses will add 10,000 megawatts to the national grid by the beginning of the next year. “Once electricity comes, for sure it will never vanish again.”
He said the new bridge would lessen the distance between Layyah and Taunsa by about 150 km and now the people of area would reach the Indus Highway in half an hour. He announced supply of natural gas for Chowk Azam, Krore and Fatehpur to fulfill the long-standing demand of the people, besides construction of a new 50km rural road and remodeling of Thal Canal.
Nawaz also announced the Prime Minister's Healthcare Card Scheme for the area through which the government would fully fund treatment of the poor, who would now need not sell their property or take loans anymore for the purpose.
He said all the designated hospitals would provide free of charge treatment and medicines to the people suffering from serious ailments. He said his government was proud to have launched a string of development schemes, unlike the opponents who, despite having government in a province and tall claims of making a new Pakistan, had in reality pushed the province towards backwardness.
Nawaz paid tribute to the people of Layyah and surroundings and said he wanted to serve them by working round the clock. The prime minister said he had recently inaugurated the Bhikki Power Plant and will now soon inaugurate the Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant.
He said other power projects including Balloki, Qadirabad, Sahiwal, Port Qasim, Neelum Jhelum and Tarbela-IV were also in the pipeline and on completion would add 10,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid by early next year.
He said subsidized electricity was already being provided to farmers. Nawaz said the foes of Pakistan did not want materialization of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), construction of motorways and roads, end to loadshedding and provision of better health facilities to the people.
He said motorways and highways were being constructed across the country to provide better communication facilities to people. He said his government will continue its journey of development and progress despite mudslinging by the political opponents.
Earlier, PML-N President Ahmed Ali Aulakh, Member of the National Assembly Sahibzada Faizur Hassan and Syed Saqlain Bukhari addressed the gathering and lauded the dynamic policies of the prime minister, which had taken the country on the path of progress and prosperity.
They denounced the dark era of dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf that plunged the country into an economic chaos. They said the prime minister was the only leader in the country, who was tackling the challenges being faced by the country head-on for betterment of the people.
