PM wants consensus to create new provinces

BAHAWALPUR: The Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, has said no single political party could make a new province, and a consensus among all political parties is required for the purpose. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Uch Sharif-Jalalpur Pirwala rehabilitation and upgradation of link road, connecting the motorway, at Khairpur Daha, near here on Saturday.

The premier said a constitutional task could not be achieved by a single political party, as it needs constitutional amendments, which requires consensus in the parliament, and not merely addressing press conferences. Referring to court verdicts against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he said political decision would be made by the electorate at polling stations in July 2018, and nobody else is empowered to make such decisions.

The prime minister said political decisions made by courts are not an appreciable tradition. He said Nawaz Sharif was ousted and his elected government was removed in the past, and yet again political decisions are being made by other people. He added such decisions would have no value in the history books.

Coming down hard on the political strategy of Imran Khan and Asif Zardari, the prime minister said the services of Shahbaz Sharif rendered for the welfare of people of Punjab distinguished him from others. He said the PML-N governments have delivered during the past five years and the party would win the upcoming general elections on the basis of its performance.

Responding to the slogans, raised by PML-N representatives from Ahmadpur East tehsil for upgrading it to a district level, the premier said it is a provincial matter and the Punjab chief minister would announce the district status for the tehsil. He said the people of his constituency are also demanding district status for Murree and he is facing the same problem there.

Earlier, the prime minister arrived at Sheikh Rashed Al-Maktoom airport Bahawalpur and flew to Khairpur Daha in a helicopter amidst heightened security. After the inaugural ceremony, the premier reached Circuit House Bahawalpur where he met delegates of PML-N workers, party leaders, lawyers, traders and the chamber representatives. The prime minister spent more than three hours at the Circuit House and his extended stay caused problems for the people of Bahawalpur.

APP adds: The prime minister was accompanied by Minister for Education and Professional Training Engineer Muhammad Balighur Rehman and parliamentarians from the area, as he unveiled the plaque of the project. The prime minister also announced construction of motorway interchanges for Bahawalpur and Ahmadpur East.

The prime minister also questioned the inertia of previous governments for failing to expand motorways network despite having resources. In fact they had no intention to serve masses and are there only to rob the national kitty, he added. He said the PML-N government is about to complete its term, proving all predictions of the so-called political leaders wrong. He said the people did not like the politics of false promises and in July election, they would once again chose between the politics of false and truth and politics of abuses and respect.

He questioned as to why the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor could not be signed during the previous governments and mentioned the construction of 1700-km long network of motorways from Karachi to Peshawar, that, he believed would change the fate of the country. The prime minister also questioned the vague role of the political parties during the election of Senate chairman and said whether with such approach have they earned good name for the country or politics. Whether with such tactics, they served the country and earned respect for the country. “Whether they deserved to rule the country!” he asked.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he said, proved it and worked for the supremacy of the public mandate. Despite opportunities in the Senate elections, the party did not go for such politics abhorred by it and the public, he added. The prime minister said there are no allegations of corruption against the PML-N government. Expressing his dismay, he reiterated that leaders like Nawaz Sharif, who served the nation, are dragged in the courts, which was unfortunate. But no one dared to ask Musharraf about his acts, he said, adding Zardari’s party had been in power for five years, but it could not complete a single development project. Could it PPP cite any single road, energy, or port project completed during its tenure, he said.

He said the NAB is an independent body and it has to follow the country’s law. The prime minister said the PML-N has a long list of development projects in the infrastructure, power sector, industries etc, that ensured progress and provided employment to the jobless and brought Pakistan into the list of progressive nations. The prime minister said Karachi was once considered as one of the most insecure cities of the world but the PML-N government returned its fabulous peace by eradicating terrorism. The prime minister said the development in Bahawalpur and all over the country is the result of the confidence expressed by people in the leadership of the PML-N.

Later speaking to a delegation of Bahawalpur Economic Development Forum at Circuit House, the prime minister said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would boost the country’s economy with an overall impact on the growth rate, infrastructure, trade and business activities. He also lauded the role of Bahawalpur Economic Development Forum in the development of Bahawalpur and congratulated its office-bearers for their efforts. The prime minister said the nations could not progress without paying taxes and tax amnesty scheme is aimed at bringing more people in the tax net.

Earlier, the Bahawalpur Economic Development Forum office-bearers briefed the prime minister about functioning of the forum and its chairman Dr Rana Muhammad Tariq presented souvenir to him. Later, a delegation of Lahore High Court Bar Association Bahawalpur also called on the prime minister.