Road to progress: PML-N will face public accountability in 2018, says CM

LAHORE: “The government has taken a number of steps to resolve the energy crisis in the last three years. Dozens of projects for power generation were launched after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) formed government in 2013. The government hopes to end the power crisis in two years,” said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday.

He was talking to a delegation of PML-N workers. The chief minister said the government was setting up energy projects with its own resources and power stations were also being established under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He said Rs215 billion had been saved in development projects through the efforts of the federal and provincial governments.

“The country will be steered out of darkness under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,” he said. “The government has set new standards of transparency and accountability by taking steps to eliminate corrupt practices.”

The chief minister said the people would lose interest in those protesting against the government’s development plans. “In the 2018 election, the PML-N will be held accountable by the public. The people will see that we fulfilled all our electoral promises.” Sharif said scores of public welfare projects had been abandoned by previous governments. “We have completed a record number of projects in a short period,” he said. “Not only did we finish new projects, we restarted work on projects which had been neglected by those who had launched them.” The chief minister said some groups were opposed to democratic governments.

“They are enemies of the people because they do not value the power of the ballot,” he said. “Such groups are harmful for peace and prosperity. They put people through endless trials and tribulations for their own vested interests.”

“Those who benefitted from a dictator’s rule did not take practical steps for public welfare,” he said.

“Hard work is needed to transform the country for public welfare,” he said.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is working hard to steer the country out of darkness,” the chief minister said. “Pakistan cannot afford protests and disruptive politics,” he said.

“Several development projects were delayed because of sit-ins. We cannot afford further delays.” “Those trying to make a Naya Pakistan should stop lying to the people. They are shameless in their hunger for power. They keep changing their positions and cannot be trusted,” he added

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2016.