PM urges critics to be patient
Asks parties to cooperate in the passage of legislation.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addressing the distribution ceremony of PM Laptop scheme at convention centre in Islamabad on June 20, 2014. PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday asked critics of his government for one thing: patience. “We allowed the previous government to complete its tenure,” he said, while inaugurating the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.
“Don’t indulge in leg-pulling. Let us work for five years to make this country a prosperous and progressive one,” he urged. Speaking at the Convention Centre Islamabad where 2,000 laptops were distributed among students in the first phase of the scheme, the PM did not name his critics. “One party is protesting, another is staging sit-ins and a third one wants to wrap up the democratic system,” he added.
The prime minister pointed out that while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is committed to freeing the country from illegal weapons and ammunitions, his party is facing great opposition in the Upper House in passing through legislation for these efforts. “I am hopeful that other parties will realise the sensitivity of the matter and will cooperate with the government to create effective legislation,” he said. If the government is allowed to complete its tenure, it will overcome issues of terrorism, extortion and target killings, he promised. “All sorts of crimes including abduction for ransom, robbery, target killing and terrorism will end once the supply of illegal weapons in the country is curbed,” he argued.
He pointed out that the country’s stock exchange has been ranked among leading ones in the world and claimed investment in the country is on the rise. Even so, ‘certain TV channels’ persist in depicting a ‘gloomy picture of the country’, the PM said. “These people push the country towards darkness and lawlessness,” he said.
Discussing the scheme to distribute laptops among students, he said the government is dedicated to promoting programmes for the education and employment of the youth, who voted the PML-N into power. The laptops are given on merit and irrespective of party affiliation, he added. He promised to widen the scope of existing fee reimbursement schemes as well. Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Maryam Nawaz said 40,000 students are being reimbursed their fees under the existing scheme.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2014.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday asked critics of his government for one thing: patience. “We allowed the previous government to complete its tenure,” he said, while inaugurating the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.
“Don’t indulge in leg-pulling. Let us work for five years to make this country a prosperous and progressive one,” he urged. Speaking at the Convention Centre Islamabad where 2,000 laptops were distributed among students in the first phase of the scheme, the PM did not name his critics. “One party is protesting, another is staging sit-ins and a third one wants to wrap up the democratic system,” he added.
The prime minister pointed out that while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is committed to freeing the country from illegal weapons and ammunitions, his party is facing great opposition in the Upper House in passing through legislation for these efforts. “I am hopeful that other parties will realise the sensitivity of the matter and will cooperate with the government to create effective legislation,” he said. If the government is allowed to complete its tenure, it will overcome issues of terrorism, extortion and target killings, he promised. “All sorts of crimes including abduction for ransom, robbery, target killing and terrorism will end once the supply of illegal weapons in the country is curbed,” he argued.
He pointed out that the country’s stock exchange has been ranked among leading ones in the world and claimed investment in the country is on the rise. Even so, ‘certain TV channels’ persist in depicting a ‘gloomy picture of the country’, the PM said. “These people push the country towards darkness and lawlessness,” he said.
Discussing the scheme to distribute laptops among students, he said the government is dedicated to promoting programmes for the education and employment of the youth, who voted the PML-N into power. The laptops are given on merit and irrespective of party affiliation, he added. He promised to widen the scope of existing fee reimbursement schemes as well. Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Maryam Nawaz said 40,000 students are being reimbursed their fees under the existing scheme.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2014.