Daily Times

LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday said despite all-out efforts by the opponents, the PML-N government always remained successful because of its development agenda.

“The political opponents are making criticism just for the sake of power. We are clean and clear and are struggling for an effective accountability even more than the opponents,” he said in a meeting with intellectuals and journalists. “We have already requested the Supreme Court for across-the-board accountability. The apex court can widen or amend the scope of the terms of the reference (ToRs) of the (proposed) accountability commission. The opposition should not make unnecessary criticism,” the prime minister remarked. He said no corruption scandal had ever been proved during any of his governments.

The prime minister said besides national development, Pakistan was also forging good ties at regional and international levels and all important states, including China and the United States, were desirous to extend cooperation on development projects. He said during the year 2015, investment had been made to add around 12,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid while the accumulative addition during last two decades remained at 10,000 MWs.

The prime minister said the government had saved Rs 112 billion of the public money from three power projects and was striving to bring an end to load shedding by January 2018. He said by 2018, the power production would increase to 33,000 MWs from current 17,000 MWs and every year, the duration of the load shedding had decreased remarkably.

Prime Minister Nawaz said that road infrastructure in the country would increase fourfold as private sector was investing in the communication projects. He said the development projects in Gwadar were being executed swiftly which would not only benefit three billion people of the region but also the whole world. He said the Central Asian states had keen interest in the development projects of Gwadar. Nawaz Sharif maintained that after their completion by 2018, the gas projects would supply 1,800 million cubic feet gas to the country and after 10 years, the government had ensured an uninterrupted gas supply to the industries. To a question, the prime minister said besides mega projects, the government was also paying equal attention to small scale projects of public interest.

Separately, addressing a high-level meeting at the Governor’s House, the prime minister said days of negative politics were over now and added masses had rejected politicians who wanted to create anarchy in any manner. He said service to the nation was the only way to success and the government would accomplish its journey of development, prosperity and glory by the year 2018. The meeting reviewed various development and provision of basic amenities projects across the country. The prime minister said the provision of basic amenities of life at the doorstep of masses was necessary, adding the government was committed to providing education, health, clean water and other facilities to the people in every nook and cranny of the country. He said the last victory would be of the masses. He said people’s problems would be resolved in their respective areas, adding the provision of basic facilities was also necessary in addition to mega projects. The prime minister said the masses would reap the maximum benefits of the development projects during the next two years. He said speedy completion of development projects would be ensured as public service was the only path to success.

He said the PML-N government had dedicated all energies for service of the people and development of the country, adding final victory will be of the glorious Pakistan. The prime minister said the government would overcome load shedding during the next two years as per its manifesto and as promised with the public, adding detractors of public projects were having enmity with the country.