QUETTA/LAHORE: As Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday said every person and institution had the right to defend, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif asked the PML-N leaders not to criticise the institutions.The prime minister, who was in Quetta, said there was no clash between the institutions and the government, adding that elections would be held after June 4, 2018, in which the people of Pakistan were going to give their verdict.
“There is no clash between the institutions and the government. This news only exists in media,” the prime minister told media persons during a daylong visit to Balochistan, the first after assuming his office.
"When I read the newspapers, only there I see news items regarding the confrontation between state institutions," he said.
When asked about the references filed against Nawaz Sharif by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khaqan said it was the right of every institution to file reference.
"Let them file the references, we will respond to them," the premier maintained and added that every person and institution enjoyed the right to defend.
And in Lahore, Shahbaz, in a statement, appealed to the party leaders to avoid statements which could harm the respect of national institutions directly or in an indirect manner.
He said Pakistan could not afford confrontation among the institutions, adding that he felt important to tell the PML-N sympathisers not pass remarks which were against the respect and esteem of national institutions.
During the media talk, the prime minister, referring to the statements of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said parties always maintained dialogue with all political forces in the country, adding that Zardari should also be part of the discourse as “dialogue is politics.
“This is election year. It is expected all politicians would give more political statements,” said Khaqan who added, “Our responsibility is to govern the country and resolve the problems of the people.”
The prime minister said the incumbent government’s objective was to solve the problems
of Balochistan for bringing it at par with other provinces and remove the feeling of helplessness among the people.
He also mentioned the improved security situation in the province after 2013 and said the development projects initiated by Nawaz Sharif would be completed.
Khaqan said gas would be supplied to all district headquarters in the current year at cost of Rs 15 billion. “Another request we received is for solar-powered tube wells. The project will be completed in three phases,” he added.
The prime minister said the Ministry for Water Resources would work with the provincial government for building as many water reservoirs in the province as possible. The Kachi Canal Project, he added, would start functioning within a week or 10 days to irrigate around 70,000 acres of land in Balochistan.
He also said that the health card scheme introduced by Nawaz Sharif in six districts of the province would be expanded across Balochistan along with the Benazir Income Support Programme.
Khaqan said improved law and order situation had also resulted in enhanced oil and gas exploration activities.
He said different China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects were reviewed in the meeting and expressed the hope that Balochistan would soon become the richest province of Pakistan.
Earlier, the prime minister, chairing a meeting, said the government was giving top priority to restoration of peace in the country, especially in Balochistan, for which practical measures were being taken.
The chief secretary briefed the participants on the law and order situation in the province. Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt-Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch, National Security Adviser Lt-Gen (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua, Commander Southern Command Lt-Gen Aamir Riaz and other high ranking officials attended the meeting. –Agencies
