Says those making tall claims got nothing; Chinese consortium of companies announces $3 bn investment in Pakistan
KAHUTA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said a person indulging in lies, foul mouthing and mudslinging against others cannot become the leader of Pakistan.
“The people of Pakistan will frustrate the designs of those trying to block the process of development as they stand no chance in polls in 2018 and it too infuriates them,” Nawaz said while addressing a public meeting at the picturesque Narh hilltop, adjacent to the border of Azad Kashmir.
The prime minister also took on India and assured the fellow countrymen that the way he had raised the Kashmir dispute at the United Nations thrice, including this September, he would continue with it as Pakistan is undeterred in supporting the cause of the Kashmiri people.While the huge crowed shouted the slogan “go Imran go,” the prime minister smiled, turned to them and reminded he has already gone and what is now left of him?
It was a unique scene that women turned up in large numbers to attend the public gathering which is unheard of in the area. The prime minister thanked them especially and said that he was for the empowerment of womenfolk. The prime minister recalled that his party had always pursued the politics of development and safeguarding the national interests and it would continue to pursue this path vigorously. He said credit goes to the PML-N for building motorways, boosting defence, breaking backbone of terrorists, carrying out nuclear explosions, reducing loadshedding of electricity and upholding the cause of Kashmiri people. He said Pakistan would continue to speak for the Kashmiris the same way he did during his address to the UN General Assembly.
The prime minister said opponents of the PML-N were trying to undo the progress made by the party since they wanted to bring back the era of backwardness. He said the rivals of the PML-N are finding it hard to digest that Pakistan is on the road to prosperity while they want to push the country 50 years back.
“We are not scared of any sort of sit-ins and people need to know who is behind the unavailability of electricity to the masses,” the prime minister said. “Our opponents want to somehow halt the process of development in the country which the PML-N government is continuing in the best interest of the common man.”Taking a jibe at the PTI leader Imran Khan, the prime minister told the people what they were talking about four days ago and where they had fallen now. He emphatically said he wouldn’t bow down before the opposition’s such attempts and the negative propaganda.
“Our agenda is development and their designs are to come in its way,” he said, adding that no previous governments, whether of General Musharraf or Pakistan People’s Party, took steps for the development of country, including construction of motorways or overcoming the electricity shortage. He termed those responsible for the energy crisis as ‘public offenders’ and said their apathy resulted in the worst loadshedding of even 16 to 18 hours a day.
Nawaz said the PML-N is the sole political party with the credit of economic turnaround, nuclear tests and motorways and overcoming energy shortages. He said that the PML-N would sweep the next general polls of 2018 on the basis of its track record of development and service to the people. He said the construction of a highway from Khunjerab having altitude of 16,000 feet at the China border in extreme north, down to Gwadar in extreme south, is in progress, which would connect the country’s north with south.
The prime minister referred to the CPEC and said it would not only help increase the trade between Pakistan and China and development of the Gwadar Port but also bring prosperity to the entire region. He said the government is working on all fronts to resolve problems of people and spending billions of rupees for the welfare of youth. The prime minister announced provision of gas and electricity to all the union councils of Kahuta and Kallar Syedan tehsils. He said that Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Kahuta would be turned into a state-of-the-art facility. Nawaz announced upgradation of 12 schools of the tehsil to higher secondary level. He also announced provision of funds for building 100 kilometres roads in Kahuta and Kallar Syedan tehsils and an overhead bridge on the Rawalpindi-Kahuta Road at Sihala.
The prime minister appreciated the natural beauty of Narh and said it needs to be developed to attract tourists and he is prepared to give half-a-billion rupees tomorrow if the development plans for converting the place into a tourist resort are prepared. He said the people living in beautiful areas are also beautiful in appearance and character. He told the gathering that the tourists turned up in record numbers to Gilgit-Baltistan this year. The tourists who visit Murree could also come to Narh.
Meanwhile, a Chinese consortium of companies has announced $3 billion investment in various sectors of Pakistan and it would be outside the CPEC.
The announcement was made in a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and representatives of the consortium here at the Prime Minister’s House. The representatives of investment companies comprising China Huarong International Holdings Limited, China Innovative Finance Group Limited, Hong Kong Tian Group, Chandong Hi-Speed Group and China Road & Bridge Group called on the prime minister who warmly welcomed the delegation and appreciated the Chinese delegation’s fruitful interaction with ministries of Finance, Petroleum and Natural Resources, Water and Power and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The prime minister expressed the hope that members of the Chinese delegation will have a productive visit in the backdrop of briefing by various ministries about immense potential for investment in Pakistan’s infrastructure development, energy and communication sectors. Federal ministers Senator Ishaq Dar, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, NHA Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarrar, Mayor Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz, MoS Miftah Ismail and Federal Secretary Water and Power Younas Dhaga were also present on the occasion.Members of the visiting delegation lauded the vision of Nawaz Sharif for economic revival and putting the country on the development path.
Source: Published at: November 05, 2016 at 05:00AM