LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and former president Asif Ali Zardari are two sides of the same coin. “Niazi and Zardari, who have been hurling allegations against each other, are now united for the sake of their personal interests,” said Shehbaz while talking to a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, including MNA Begum Iffat Liaqat and MPA Sultan Haider Ali, here on Monday. The chief minister said that defeated political elements had promoted the politics of deceits, falsehood and baseless allegations. “The conscious people of Pakistan will totally reject such elements in general elections because a lie has no legs.” He said that faces of the elements engaged in the politics of accusations had been exposed. He added that the claimants of “change” had not given anything to people except hollow slogans. He said that the “sit-in” party was afraid of the performance of PML-N government and defeat would be their fate in the next general elections. Shehbaz said that destructive criticism could not stop the journey of development in Pakistan. He claimed that a comprehensive programme of national development and prosperity was being moved forward by the government, adding that solid steps had been taken for welfare of the general public. The chief minister said that the Punjab government considered all its resources as a sacred trust of the masses and was efficiently utilised them to improve the quality of life of the people. “Public welfare is core agenda of the government while leveling baseless allegations and speaking frequent lies is sole purpose of our opponents,” he said, adding that the nation would reject negative in the upcoming general elections. He said that pivot of politics of Pakistan Muslim League-N was public service and it had promoted the democratic culture. “The people only want peace and prosperity and national development has been given importance by us at every stage. On the other side, the sit-in group has shown enmity with the people by impeding the projects of public welfare.” Separately, a delegation of General Electric led by its Chief Executive Officer and President Russel Stokes called on Shehbaz on Monday. Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari was also present on the occasion. Talking to the delegation, the chief minister said that cheap and uninterrupted supply of electricity to the people was the basis of national development and added that government was fully committed to providing economical and uninterrupted supply of electricity to improve the quality of life of the people. He said that resources worth Rs 150 billion had been saved in gas-based projects by ensuring transparency. The electricity projects have been completed in a record period of time by the incumbent government, he added. Russel Stokes said that cooperation with the government would be continued in the future and appreciated the government’s tremendous cooperation in setting up the power plants. Meanwhile, the CM Monday took notice of the incident of rape-cum-murder of a girl student in Kot Momin and sought a report from DPO Sargodha. He ordered the police official to hold investigation of the tragic incident adding that action should be initiated against the criminals involved in the incident. He said that provision of justice to the bereaved family would be ensured at every cost. Published in Daily Times, April 10th 2018.