Nawaz ridicules ‘Naya Pakistan’ brigade

Prime minister claims ‘real change’ has been brought about by his government

CHICHAWATNI: Lambasting his party’s arch nemesis the PTI, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has claimed that those who raised the slogan of ‘Naya Pakistan’ have disappointed the nation and that the ‘real change’ has been brought about by his government.

“What have they done in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa so far? The entire province [where the PTI is in power] has been ruined in the past few years and everybody can see that the roads and streets of K-P are in a dilapidated condition,” Sharif told a public gathering in Chichawatni tehsil of Sahiwal district on Thursday.

“Those who touted ‘Naya Pakistan’ have disappointed the nation,” he added. "The people of Pakistan have rejected the foul-mouthed people who only know how to stage sit-ins, tell lies and make false accusations."

Amid vociferous sloganeering by his supporters, Sharif claimed: “If people want to see the real change and prosperity, they must visit the rest of Pakistan and witness themselves which province has been more developed.”

However, he said, his government had not initiated development projects only in Punjab, the PML-N’s political powerhouse. “We have also done work in other provinces, including Sindh, Balochistan and even in K-P,” he added.



Sharif said he would present his ‘report card’ in front of the public, before the completion of five-year term of his government, adding that his opponents would also have to present their report card.

“We will face the people at the end of our five-year term and show them the service we have done, and they [opposition] will also show, what they have done,” he said. The premier added that “the people of Pakistan will once again vote us to power, after we successfully served people for five years”.

Listing the development initiatives started by his government including Metro bus projects, motorways, roads and power generation units, he said these projects were changing the landscape of the country ‘at a rapid pace’.

Sharif also highlighted the efforts of his government to improve the farmers’ lot and said his government had cut price of Urea from Rs1,800 to Rs1,400, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) from Rs4,000 to Rs2,500 and electricity tariff for tube-wells from Rs18 per unit to Rs5.25 per unit.

He announced a slew of development projects for Chichawatni including a grant of Rs250 million for its development and Rs100 million for power supply, provision of natural gas, upgrade of technical and vocational institution and initiation of Masters’ programme at degree colleges.

To the crowd’s loud cheers, he announced construction of a road linking Chichawatni to the Lahore-Multan Motorway. “The people will now reach Lahore in less than three hours,” he said.

The prime minister also performed groundbreaking of the Model Cattle Market that will be set up at a cost of Rs230 million and benefit 80,000 livestock farmers, where they will get veterinary services as well. The market will generate an estimated revenue of Rs12 billion.

[WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP]

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