PTI’s protests delayed progress: Shehbaz

Punjab CM claims PML-N tenure will be remembered as ‘golden era’

LAHORE: Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, whose family is under National Accountability Bureau’s investigation, requested all politicians, judges and generals to not only catch the corrupt but also appreciate honest efforts.

“Without stick and carrot policy, we will be equating apples with oranges,” said Shehbaz, adding that hard working officers should be appreciated for their dedication.

The Punjab CM was addressing a ceremony held in connection with the complete functioning of the Bhikki power plant. Prior to the ceremony, Shehbaz unveiled a plaque to inaugurate the complete functioning of the 1180MW Bhikki power plant.

“Today is a historic day when 1180MW electricity is being added to the national grid from the Bhikki power plant, which is a modern plant running on gas,” said Shehbaz while speaking on the occasion.

He said load-shedding is being eliminated with the efforts of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and 10,000MW electricity is being generated from power plants worth billions of rupees installed by the federal and Punjab governments from their own resources, independent of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“Our government under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif initiated efforts to overcome load-shedding which went in vain due to PTI’s sit-ins that caused huge losses to the national economy and delayed power projects,” said the PML-N president.

He complained that the Chinese president’s visit was also delayed due to these protests and for this the people of Pakistan would never forgive Imran Khan. All power projects would have been completed much earlier, had the sit-in not started, he said and panned the PTI chief for ‘not paying enough attention to producing electricity in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’.

Addressing district and divisional coordinators of the PML-N, Shehbaz said the general elections are nearing and all office-bearers of the party should continue working with dedication “because politics is an obligation and we can win blessings of this world and hereafter through politics”.

“Our tenure represents transparency, honesty, speed and dedication,” said the Punjab CM while lauding his party for ‘having done extraordinary works’ during its five years in power. He said that the ‘unprecedented results’ had been achieved under the leadership of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and history would remember ‘this golden era’ for centuries to come.

Leading his party into the crucial upcoming polls, Shehbaz claimed that they would head straight into the elections with courage and confidence while expressing his desire to make Pakistan a developed and prosperous country.

Earlier in the day, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and MNA Sultan Mehmud Hinjra called on Shehbaz and expressed their confidence in his leadership.

“We have worked day and night for the progress of Pakistan without caring about our political rivals, and people are well aware of those who violate the public mandate,” said Shehbaz, expressing confidence about their chances of clean-sweeping the upcoming elections.