Government would not be deterred by political blustering : PM Nawaz Sharif

Lahore: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said the government would not be deterred by political blustering and would continue to pursue the agenda of development and prosperity.

“However, if corruption worth a single penny is proved against me, I will not wait for a moment to quit,” the Prime Minister said in his address to a public gathering here at Bannu.

The large gathering attracted supporters of Pakistan Muslims League-N and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) led by its chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The Prime Minister said he enjoyed the public mandate and would not leave on the wishes of a few people.

Nawaz Sharif said those who claimed of making a “new Khyber Pukhtunkhwa” should see the unimproved condition of the province.

“They lured the people of KPK to get votes, but did not bring a change of development in three years of their tenure,” he said, referring to the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf that constitute the provincial government.

The Prime Minister said during his visits to the KPK’s cities including Bannu, Peshawar, Mansehra and Shinkiari, he found nowhere the new KPK, but the same shabby buildings of schools and hospitals.

Instead, Sharif said, his government had ushered in a new era of development with launch of network of new motorways and roads across the country.

The Prime Minister said such leaders pursued the politics of sit-ins and lamented about rigging in general election 2013, however the Supreme Court gave the verdict of no fixing of polls.

“This was a slap on their [leaders] face, however they did not even bother to apologize to the nation for their wrong claims and now have come up with new allegations,” he said.

He said the public should realize the difference between the leaders involved in negative politics and those believing in the positive politics of development.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said several mega development projects including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would ensure development across the country. He vowed an end of power shortage by 2018.

He said his visit to Bannu was aimed at launching of several development and welfare projects for the people who had been facing apathy of the KPK government.

He performed ground-breaking of gas pipelines to five union councils of Bannu. The project costing Rs 259,500,000 will be completed in a year.

He also announced upgradation of roads from Kohat to Sarai Kambela and Sarai Kambela to Dera Ismail Khan and enhancing electricity generation capacity of a 350 MW power house in Bannu to 700 MW.

The Prime Minister announced establishing a university in Lakki Marwat to cater to the educational needs of local people. He announced construction of a Bannu International Airport and setting up economic zones in Kohat and Karak, which he said would ensure prosperity.

He announced provision of Rs 200 million each for the district and tehsil councils of Bannu.

JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in his address mentioned that during 67 years of establishment of the country, no attention was paid to the under-developed areas.

He called for an across-the-board accountability sparing no one.

Concluding the event, the Prime Minister and the JUI(F) chief with their hands clasped waved to the gathering, which raised the slogans of ‘Long live Nawaz Sharif and Ye hai Naya Pakistan’ (This is the real new Pakistan).