Promising to change Sindh, minister urges people to vote for PML-N

Ahsan Iqbal believes province wants to see same development which is being brought in Punjab

HYDERABAD: Promising to turn Sindh into an example of development, Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal appealed to the people of the province to give their mandate to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the 2018 general elections.

“There is only one way for Sindh to develop and prosper,” asserted Iqbal, referring to the last nine years of Pakistan Peoples Party’s provincial government. “I appeal to the people that you gave your mandate to different parties in the past, [but] if you vote for PML-N we will change Sindh in the next five years,” he assured.

Iqbal was speaking to newsmen at a reception hosted by PML-N leaders in Hyderabad for him on Tuesday.

“We want to request the people of Sindh to vote for change by voting for Nawaz Sharif so that we undertake exemplary development in Sindh and bring prosperity to the people,” said Iqbal.



He said Sindh’s resources are being consumed by corruption and the province is lagging behind others in a number of areas, including education and urban development.

Iqbal told the media that he believed that the people of Sindh desire to see the same development which is being brought by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Punjab. “If Sindh votes for the PML-N in 2018 then we will serve Sindh more than Punjab. We will make Sindh an example of development,” he said.

Responding to a question about the provincial government’s complaints with the centre, Iqbal advised people to consider those allegations against the backdrop of the upcoming elections. He said Sindh government wanted to shift blame for its failures on the federal government.

In another assault on the PPP with regards to CPEC, Iqbal asked the PPP leaders to prove that they initiated the mega project as they claim. He recalled that on behalf of government of Pakistan he had signed CPEC’s agreement on July 5, 2013.



Iqbal reiterated that India and other countries which are afraid that Gwadar port will become a centre for economic activity in the region are spreading propaganda against the multi-billion dollar project.

He also credited CPEC with helping Pakistan come closer to attaining 5 per cent GDP growth in the current fiscal, after ten years.  The minister told newsmen that around 10,000 Megawatts electricity will be added to the existing capacity from May 2017 to May 2018.

Govt depts seek staggering 250% more for development work

Replying to a question about water scarcity, Iqbal said water scarcity may develop as a potential crisis in the next 10 to 15 year if preventive measures are not taken. The minister emphasised the need for building new reservoirs and efficiently using water to minimise the threat, as Pakistan has been listed among the top seven countries which will be most affected by climate change.

Earlier, the minister also addressed a three-day international conference on ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor: political, economic and social perspectives’, organised by Sindh University’s Area Study Centre for Far East and South East Asia in Jamshoro.

During the conference, Iqbal reiterated that CPEC is a game-changer and emphasised that India will be compelled to join this project because India cannot stay detached from the region.