My speed will panic Imran: Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday inaugurated the Orange Line Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Mor to the Islamabad International Airport within five days of assuming his office.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, he said former people were over now. He said Imran Niazi was frightened after the formation of a coalition government in Centre as he was seeing his future bleak.

“There are some reasons for former rulers to worry, but the worries of Pakistani people are over now as all commitments made with them will be fulfilled,” Shehbaz promised. “I will continue working with the same speed which I am used to, whether you consider it a good or a bad habit,” he said.

The PM said that like the Orange Line metro bus project, there were many other development projects which had faced undue delays not because of lack of funds but lack of commitment and urge to serve people.

About the economic failures of the PTI government, the PM said that the PMLN governments always met the defence expenditures through local resources and income generation in the past. “But the PTI government obtained loans to meet the defence expenses,” he said.

Turkish Ambassador Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul and Chinese chargé d'affaires were especially invited to the inaugural ceremony. A large number of MNAs and notables were also present. The PM said he was happy that friendly countries like China and Turkey were contributing to wonderful public transport system, directly or indirectly. He requested the Chinese president to reconsider the Karachi Circular Railways project, saying it would not only benefit the people of Karachi, but also help strengthen ties between peoples of two countries. He also thanked Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan over his support to development projects in Pakistan.

The Orange Line Metro Bus Service project was launched by the Nawaz Sharif government in 2017, and was to be completed in 2018, but its completion was delayed by almost four years. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after resuming his office, directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the National Highway Authority (NHA) for early completion of the project, which made it operational in five days.

Shehbaz Sharif, in his speech, said there were no reasons behind delay as funds were also available. “He (Imran Khan), according to him, spends only Rs75 per kilometre in his helicopter travel, while ministers also travel in bulletproof vehicles. That is why, they don’t care about the problems faced by the poor people in their travel,” he said. Shehbaz announced that people would travel for free in the newly-launched bus service during Ramazan. He said the project would not have faced even a four-hour delay had the PTI government any feeling about sufferings of masses.

The PM praised hard work of the Planning Commission deputy chairman, CDA chairman and his planners for making operational the Orange Line bus service in just five days. He also took a ride of the Orange Line bus. He said he wanted to say good bye to those who wasted time of the nation. He said the original cost of the project was Rs16 billion when it was started in 2017, and it was to be completed in 2018. He said later the cost was reduced, but many features of the project were abolished.