Local elections: Results reflect people’s trust in govt, says Shahbaz

Chief minister inaugurates development projects in Rahim Yar Khan

BAHAWALPUR:

The people have expressed their confidence in the government by voting for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidates in the first phase of the local government elections, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday.

He was addressing a gathering at the residence of MNA Makhdoom Khusroo Bakhtiar in Mianwali Qureshian. Earlier, the CM offered condolence over the death of Bakhtiar’s father.

“The people have sent a message that they have complete trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. They have rejected politics through false accusations and coercive protests. Those staging sit-ins have been defeated. If the government and its lawmakers continue to perform their duties diligently for two more years, people will reelect the PML-N in 2018,” he said.



He said that PML-N governments at the Centre and in Punjab and Balochistan were working for development. “We are taking steps to end load shedding. Work is going on a number of power projects. After their completion by 2017, thousands of megawatts of electricity will be added to the national grid,” he said. The chief minister said that the government had also started work on gas-based power plants to reduce load shedding.

The chief minister said that mega projects had been started in the country with Chinese help. “These projects costing billions of rupees will play an important role in national development,” he said.

The CM said that the government had allocated Rs50 billion for building farm-to-market roads in rural areas. “Rs15 billion has been allocated for providing clean drinking water to people in rural areas,” he said.

He said that the government and people had to restore the image of the country and make it self-reliant. “We will have to change ourselves first in order to change the destiny of the country,” he said.

The chief minister said that China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran were Pakistan’s best friends. “With their cooperation, Pakistan will be steered out of all crises, including energy shortage,” he said.

He also inaugurated the roads from Sonak to Kot Samba and Sheikhwahan to Shahpur.

The CM laid the foundation stone for a potable water scheme in Chak 63 in Khanpur tehsil. He said that 28 Saaf Pani plants would be set up in Khanpur. He visited Government High School, Rahimabad in Sadiqabad tehsil and Khawaja Fareed Engineering and Information Technology University.

He also visited the residence of MNA Arshad Khan Leghari at Rahimabad, Sadiqabad, to condole with him the death of his brother.

Turkish elections

The chief minister has congratulated President Racep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the victory of Justice and Development Party in parliamentary elections in Turkey. In a message of felicitation, the chief minister said that Turkish people had again expressed their confidence in the leadership of Justice and Development Party.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2015.