Time to deliver speeches has passed:Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that the time to deliver speeches has passed and now there is a need to work, work and work. He said that in order to steer the country out of the crises and the problems of the last five years and lay the foundation of a prosperous, developed and welfare state, personal and political differences will have to be set aside and collective efforts will have to be made to cope with the challenges faced by the country. He said there cannot be two opinions about the fact that load-shedding has badly affected every segment of the society and pushed the economy of the country to the verge of disaster.

The Chief Minister expressed these views while talking to Coordinator to the Chief Minister in Germany Shahid Riaz Gondal at Model Town and during meeting with various delegations and Assembly Members of ML-N at Raiwind.

He said that millions of labourers have been rendered jobless while energy crisis has left a negative impact on agriculture and industrial sectors. He said that due to declining trend of investment, the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan have fallen from sixteen billion dollars to six billion dollars during the last five years. He said that the federal government has to face a circular debt of five hundred billion rupees and this vicious circle has trapped the nation.

He said it is unfortunate that while Pakistani nation is burdened with foreign debt of sixty billion dollars, some influential persons are involved in theft of power, gas and furnace oil of billions of rupees per month. He said that Punjab government will play its role in curbing theft of electricity and the provincial administration and police will go to any extent for this purpose.

He said that he will not be deterred by any affiliation or safarish in this regard. He said that it is time to utilize all out energies and resources to resolve the problem of load-shedding. He said that anything is possible with commitment, effort and determination. He said that every human effort will have to be made for ensuring a bright future for the coming generation. He said that public problems will have to be resolved and relief will be provided to the masses.

The Chief Minister said that the massive sum of 207 billion rupees in the existing circular debt in energy sector is due to power theft and if this trend was not curbed, losses will continue to increase. He said that the former federal rulers misappropriated billions of rupees from various ministries but PML-N government will not allow any corruption.

He said that an Australian company is engaged in preparing a feasibility report regarding the coal reserves near Jehlum. Shahbaz Sharif said that Nandipur and Chicho Ki Malian projects could not be implemented due to malafide intensions of former rulers and their machinery had become rusty due to lying at Karachi port. However, he said, PML-N government has decided to immediately start work on these project with the cooperation of Chinese companies. He said that overseas Pakistanis who have the interest of their country at heart can play a vital role in the strengthening of national economy. He said that Pakistan is stuck in a quagmire of problems and the role of expatriate Pakistanis has assumed greater significance in the existing scenario. He said that overseas Pakistanis should make maximum investment to resolve energy crisis.

He said that Allah Almighty has laid a heavy responsibility on PML-N and therefore, Assembly Members and wooers of PML-N should work round the clock for solving the problems of the people and raising their living standard.  He said that it is time to change challenges into opportunities and come upto the expectations of the masses.

Shahid Riaz Gondal and Assembly Members and workers of PML-N congratulated Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on the thumping victory of the party in the general elections.