LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that no sit-in or protest could hamper the process of national development.
Talking to a delegation of journalists, columnists and intellectuals of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan here on Sunday, the CM said that the projects evolved during the tenure of those, who are criticising the welfare programmes of the present government unjustifiably, were not monuments of development but graveyards of corruption. He said the present government was moving in the right direction and the people knew very well who was serving them and who was indulging in the politics of agitation only. He said the former rulers had put the country’s future at stake by committing a criminal negligence towards Nandipur Power Project. He said that had this project been completed three years ago, the country would neither have to face economic loss of Rs165 billion nor the poor nation had to spend an additional amount of billions of rupees.
The delegation congratulated Shahbaz Sharif for taking speedy measures to resolve energy crisis and for development projects in Punjab. Press Secretary to Chief Minister Shoaib Bin Aziz, Secretary Information Momin Agha and Director General Public Relations Athar Ali Khan were also present on the occasion.
The CM said that completion of Nandipur Power Project in a record period of seven months was a result of the best team work. He said if the projects like Nandipur Power Project could be revived, then darkness could also be removed from the country within four years. He said the development projects in Punjab were for the whole nation and collective efforts were needed to ensure a bright future of the country.
Shahbaz said that the government’s solid policies were yielding positive results as the national economy was improving day by day. He said that foreign exchange reserves had increased beyond $13 billion while Pakistani currency also stabilised against dollar. He said the federal government was making serious efforts for overcoming energy crisis, and power projects were being set up expeditiously in the country. He said that the federal government had also allocated Rs30 billion for Dasu and Diamir Bhasha Dam while a sum of Rs55 billion had been allocated for Karachi- Lahore Motorway.
Shahbaz said the Punjab government for achieving consensus in NFC Award had voluntarily given Rs11 billion from its annual share to other provinces, and as such it had given RS44 billion to other provinces during the last four years. He said the PML-N government was making sincere efforts for resolving the issues being faced by the country.
Eulogising Shahbaz Sharif, the delegation members said that the CM was a revolutionary leader who is taking historic measures for the betterment of the masses. They paid tributes to the chief minister for initiating public welfare projects.