- Says his leader Nawaz Sharif decided to sacrifice politics for sake of the country
- Reiterates seeking foreign loans is no solution to economic issues and country’s future
DG KHAN/LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday declared that he will never turn away from the people of South Punjab as he has a heart-to-heart connection with them, announcing the construction of a cancer hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan and a university in Rajanpur.
Addressing a massive PML-N rally in Dera Ghani Khan on Saturday, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that an era of progress and prosperity had dawned upon the area, promising job opportunities for the youth.
“Nawaz Sharif cancer hospital is being constructed in Lahore and another cancer hospital will be built in DG Khan,” he added.
“I remember very well that this was not a favour done to you but I just want to recall what we did, we built Daanish schools, free medicine, laptops and a conditional cash transfer programme for the whole region’s children,” he said.
He continued, “Whether that was for the rozgar scheme or girl’s education programme, me and Nawaz Sharif have always kept quota higher for south Punjab compared to the rest of Punjab.
“This was your right and to complete it we will also work towards it and you should as well,” he said.
“The people of south Punjab, I haven’t given anything to you but given your love for Nawaz Sharif, me and the party I promise by God that even if I work throughout my life I cannot repay that favour,” he added.
PM Shehbaz said the federal government was committed to uniform progress and prosperity of all areas with uplift of backward areas like South Punjab by spreading a vast network of development projects.
He told the huge crowd that when they came to power, the inflation had reached over 40 percent, but his leader Nawaz Sharif decided to sacrifice politics for the sake of the country.
With hard work and pro-development policies of the incumbent government, the inflation was capped below 2.4 percent while the interest rate had been reduced to 12 percent benefitting the investors, business people and farmers, he added.
Expressing his views in local Saraiki dialect, the prime minister said Nawaz Sharif and he had a strong relation with this region. During the year 2010, when the floodwater and destruction was witnessed everywhere in these areas, he as a servant of the area, worked day and night to alleviate sufferings of the masses. “I have come to convey that Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz are working day and night for the uplift of entire province, particularly for the South Punjab,” he added.
PM Shehbaz said during his previous tenures he had worked for the establishment of Danish schools, hospitals, provision of free medicines and livestock, award of scholarships, besides allocating extra quota for the youth of the area in different sectors.
He said the Punjab chief minister was spreading a network of hospitals and roads in the province, inaugurated facility of Kissan cards, different health and education centers, besides working for the establishment of Nawaz Sharif cancer hospital in Lahore.
The prime minister said that an era of progress and prosperity had dawned upon the area in which the youth would get jobs opportunities.
PM Shehbaz also reiterated that seeking foreign loans was no solution to their economic issues and the country’s future. Without loans, they would change fate of the country by striving day and night and shedding sweat and blood, he said, adding he did not believe in hollow slogans, and promised to ensure progress and prosperity of the backward areas. He maintained that the country’s economy had stabilized.
The prime minister also praised all the leaders of the region for working hard for the uplift of their respective areas and mentioned minister for power who was working hard to provide relief over power tariff by bringing reforms.
PM Shehbaz further said for progress and development, peace was requisite.
The enemies of Pakistan including Khwarij were carrying out terrorist activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces and the security forces were giving sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, he said and urged the people to remember these sacrifices. “Without elimination of terrorism, the country cannot move on the path of progress,” he opined and without naming a political party, said mounting attacks on Islamabad in the past had caused immense losses as one-day strike caused loss of billions the national kitty.
PM Shehbaz also expressed the resolve that together, they would defeat enemies of Pakistan.
