KARACHI: “It is my dream to finish corruption from Sindh, particularly Karachi, and bring development to the province,” Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday. Shahbaz, who is also the president of PML-N, spent a busy day in the city, his schedule included a meeting with the Sindh governor where they discussed the current political situation of the country. Later, he met the party’s local leadership, local body representatives, and delegations of lawyers, businessmen and traders. Shehbaz also addressed the press at the Governor’s House and spoke at a PML-N workers convention. At the press conference, Shehbaz said, “All of us need to work together for the betterment of Pakistan. Development work is underway across the country. We have given the green-line mass transit project to Karachi.” He said if given a chance his party would return lights to the city of lights. He said, “we are ready to work around the clock for Karachi’s betterment, but we need support to make it possible,” adding that his party’s policies had returned peace to the city, and that now it would work to improve civic infrastructure as well. “People in Karachi are being denied basic facilities, we have to bring lights back to the city,” Shehbaz said. The Punjab CM was flanked by Governor Muhammad Zubair when he offered fateha and laid floral wreath at the Quaid’s mausoleum. The two also prayed for the progress and prosperity of the country at the Quaid’s Mausoleum. While talking to media at the premises, he said that the PML-N was the party of the people, adding that it ‘will remain the biggest political party of Pakistan”. Shehbaz said that garbage heaps found on the roadsides in Karachi were ruining the beauty of the city, adding that it was his dream to run a metro bus service in Karachi as well. The PML-N president said the situation of the metropolis had deteriorated due to corruption. “If money was not looted, then the situation of the city and the province would have been different.” “PML-N has the vision of prosperity of people through development projects,” Shehbaz said. The PML-N president also met with a delegation of lawyers, headed by former Supreme Court Bar Association president Yasin Azaad, at the Governor’s House. While addressing the delegation, Shehbaz praised the contribution of the lawyers’ community towards the country’s progress. “Lawyer community ran a great movement for restoration of democracy,” he said, adding that lawyers played a significant role in dispensing justice to ordinary citizens. No society can progress without justice and law, he asserted. Shehbaz also remarked that he will improve the conditions in Karachi if given the chance after the upcoming general elections. While talking about apex court verdict against Nawaz Sharif, the Punjab chief minister said the elder Sharif will always remain his leader, and party workers will now have to move forward with strength, courage and patience for the country’s prosperity. Meanwhile, several party workers who had reached the airport to welcome him complained that the PML-N president ignored them and went straight from the airport to the Governor’s House without meeting them. Published in Daily Times, April 15th 2018.