LONDON: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday came down hard on his political opponents, especially Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, and said that baseless allegations could not keep the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from serving the country and the masses.
“We have made politics a mean of public service. Baseless allegations can’t detract us from the commitment to serve the country and masses,” said the chief minister while talking to various delegations that called on him in London.
“PTI chief Imran Niazi had tried to promote a culture of deceit and falsehood, which was rejected by people. Time has come that torch-bearers of falsehood should realise facts in the larger interest of the country,” said the chief minister and urged collective efforts to put the country on the road to progress.
In a veiled yet apparent reference to the PTI, the chief minister said: “People are least bothered about tall claims and negative politics as their only concern was development and resolution of their issues. Those who have wasted precious time of the nation with their negative politics got nothing except regrets. Protests and sit-in could not deter our resolve to serve the public.”
Shehbaz went on to say that people would bury the negative politics in the upcoming general elections. He claimed that Pakistan was more peaceful than before and added that improving the quality of life was the top priority of the ruling PML-N.
Taking a jibe at the PTI, he said that makers of ‘new Pakistan’ had only spread deprivations among the masses and their politics was moving around baseless allegations. “Imran is known for taking U-turns and such a person can’t lead the nation.”
The chief minister did not shied away from criticising the previous governments and held them responsible for the crippling power outages during the past few years. Without naming anyone, he said that the previous rulers had committed a criminal negligence by delaying energy projects. “People have not forgotten the mega-corruption scandals of corrupt rulers,” he said.
He added that people would hold corrupt rulers accountable for obstructing the development process.
Published in Daily Times, March 29th 2018.