Our government is corruption-free : Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif

Lahore : Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday said his government was corruption-free and has not been tainted in even a single scandal of financial bungling as transparency in all projects was its hallmark since 2013.

He was addressing a gathering here after witnessing the breakthrough ceremony of Right Head-race tunnel of Neelum Jhelum project marking completion of the 68-kilometer long tunnels system.

The event marked a major milestone towards completion of the strategically important 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came down heavily on the opposition for pursuing a policy of mud slinging, “negative politics” and hampering country’s march towards progress and development and said it was only during the tenure of PML-N governments that the country moved ahead.

Sharif who was visiting the project for the fourth time, said ridding the country of power outages was his earnest desire. He regretted that some people today were protesting against power outages, while it were they who were responsible for the present state of affairs.

Without naming anyone and in an apparent reference to the recent protest by the Pakistan Peoples Party in Lahore against loadshedding, the Prime Minister said “People are sick of you, for abusing the government daily, for using dirty language, and for something for which you are responsible.”

Sharif recalled that the people were apprehensive that Pakistan might default by year 2012, however said that owing to the sincerity of his team and hard work, things have completely changed.

He said gone were the days when the country witnessed 18 hours long loadshedding and the economy was about to collapse.

“The back of terrorists have been broken, the country’s economy is booming, and the industry today is getting electricity and natural gas without any break.”

 “We have not indulged in politics of confrontation, backbiting and mud slinging and due to this reason, we have taken the country forward on path of progress and prosperity,” Sharif said.

“Hiding like an ostrich would do no good, making tall claims does not achieve anything, and God willing, the ‘sher’ – lion will be again in power in 2018,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the country was witnessing a revolution and added that 68 km long tunnel through a difficult terrain has been completed and termed it an unusual feat.

He said the project was a victim of delays and poor planning in the past and said had his government not taken interest, this would have lingered for years to come. He said no previous government had any interest, or sense of responsibility towards completing this task.

He said the project, one of the many, was part of his government’s commitment to end the curse of loadshedding from the country.

Prime Minister Sharif said after the power project in Bhikki, Baloki, Sahiwal and Port Qasim, were near completion. He questioned why no other government in the past thought of inter connecting the country with a network of high quality six lane roads. He also mentioned the growing foreign investments, improvement in law and order situation, particularly in Karachi, improved rankings by international rating agencies, the best performing stock market, as some of his govenrment’s achievements.

The Prime Minister said every month new power projects would come on line and mentioned the Thar Coal and Sahiwal projects that were nearing completion.

He said by early next year 10,000 MW would be added to the system, equivalent to the power added in past 70 years. “It is no small feat,” he said and attributed it to God’s help and Chinese cooperation.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the pace of progress in the power projects and said more electricity would bring in more employment opportunities and boost industrialisation and productivity.

Earlier the Prime Minister witnessed the break-through of the Right Headrace Tunnel by the second Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). He was accompanied by President AJK Sardar Masood Khan, Prime Minister

AJK Raja Farooq Haider, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Minister of State for power Abid Sher Ali and parliamentarians.

A documentary detailing various phases of the project was also shown. About 92 percent construction work has been completed on the project, involving extensive tunnel work in one of the hardest terrains.

The first unit of Neelum Jhelum Hydro Power Project will start electricity generation by the end of February 2018, the second unit in mid March, whereas the third and the fourth unit will be completed in April 2018.

Chairman WAPDA Lieutenant General Muzammil Hussain (Retd) lauded the Prime Minister for his commitment and vision and said under his dynamic leadership Pakistan was on the path of economic prosperity and development.

He said the project was ahead of its time-line and would be producing over 900 MW of electricity in seven months time. He said similarly work on other projects was going on at a fast pace. He said work on Dasu dam would start in June this year and 2200 MW would be produced by the year 2022, while Diamir Bhasha would be up by 2027.