Those involved in corruption, shifting money abroad not questioned, says Shahbaz

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday said it was ironic that Nawaz Sharif had not been disqualified for any corruption but over the existence of an Aqama.

On the other hand, he added, those who had been minting billions of rupees from Karachi to Fata and siphoned off those to their businesses in the US, Canada, Europe and Dubai were never questioned for anything.

Addressing a huge gathering at Data Darbar before Nawaz, he said in fact, the disqualification over Aqama proved that the former prime minister did not commit any corruption.

He asked the charged crowd whether Nawaz had not reduced loadshedding, provided luxury transport system to the poor people, increased exports and brought foreign investment, to which the repose was “yes, yes”.

He said the opponents of PML-N were mainly opposing development in the country. He asked the participants that if they wanted to stand by those who were building the country or those opposing the development.

Shahbaz said all through the journey from Islamabad to Lahore, he found large crowds of people and the most active among the supporters were the youngsters. He said the presence of large number of youth nullified the claims of Mr Niazi [Imran Khan] that the country’s youth were with him. “He Niaz) is the biggest liar and habitual of making U-turns,” said the chief minister who added that the country’s youth had shattered his [Imran’s] imagination.

Our Correspondent adds: Earlier, the chief minister expressed the determined to make Pakistan peaceful, prosperous and strong and said the past was a witness to the fact that every step taken by the PML-N government was aimed at progress and prosperity of the country. According to a statement, Shahbaz said new examples of standard and transparency had been set by the PML-N government and nobody could level allegation of corruption involving even a single penny in development projects.

Also on Saturday, the chief minister said the measures taken for the welfare of farmers under Kissan Package had yielded positive results and the bumper wheat crop in the current year had benefited small land owners.

Talking to a delegation of elected representatives, he said the initiative had helped increasing the cultivated area and crop production that would strengthen the farmers economically. Interest free loans had been provided to over 160,000 small farmers in a short period of six months, Shahbaz said, adding that an amount of Rs 100 billion was being provided to the 600,000 small farmers owing 12-and-half acres of land.

The chief minister said thousands of kilometres long carpeted roads had been built in the rural areas under Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme which would go a long way in modernising the villages.