Govt has ‘not implemented any uplift project’ in 3 years

PML-N leader says biggest development in country made by Planning Commission during PML-N tenure

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has fired a broadside at the incumbent government, saying that the Centre has not implemented any development project in the last three years.

“How can a person who does not understand planning run the country? [Prime Minister] Imran Khan can only tarnish images. The biggest development in Pakistan was made by the Planning Commission during 2013-18 [the tenure of PML-N],” the PML-N leader said while addressing a news conference on Friday.

“It has been three years since this government could not start ML-1 projects,” Iqbal said.

He said that Foreign Minister Shaukat Tarin did not know that the biggest development in Pakistan was made by the Planning Commission from 2013 to 2018.

He accused the incumbent government of ruining the Planning Commission, saying that due to this fact, Pakistan is currently operating without a long-term plan.

“What kind of a government is this? Sometimes it tries to jack up the economy through goats and sometimes through chicken,” he said sarcastically.

Also read ‘Development projects ahead of by-polls a ploy’

Iqbal said that from 1947 to 2013, power projects with cumulative generation capacity of 18,000 megawatts were started in Pakistan.

“Our government has stunned the world with its 11,000 MW power projects. One-third of the country's population is currently without electricity.

“We are less than Sri Lanka in power consumption. You can't stop power theft,” he said, adding that the incumbent government is raising electricity prices to make up for its failure.

“The growth rate was six per cent on which Pakistan's energy projects were based. This incompetent government crashed this growth momentum.”

Iqbal said that Imran Khan opens the file and nothing happens, challenging Imran, Shehzad Akbar and NAB chairman to prove any dishonesty in Rs3,100 billion debt during the PML-N tenure.

“You have deceived the people by committing corruption. Tell me, what have you got out of it?”

He said that at present, “Pakistan is facing challenges on the political, economic and foreign fronts”.

“The world has its eyes on the situation in Afghanistan.”