LAHORE: Shehbaz Sharif Saturday addressed a stone-laying ceremony for the Bab-i-Pakistan project and the expansion of Walton Road in Lahore, and emphasized the importance of collective effort and sacrifice in overcoming current difficulties.
The prime minister acknowledged that all segments of society, including the elite, must come forward to support the nation.
While speaking at the historic site, the prime minister emphasized the sacrifices made by Muslims from the sub-continent for the creation of a separate homeland. He spoke about the worst kind of carnage faced by the migrants on their way to the newly created country, and praised the locals for supporting them.
Referring to Walton Road, Sharif highlighted its significance as a place where thousands of migrants from India sought refuge. He added that the unique precedent of Ansar-i-Medina would always be remembered.
PM @CMShehbaz attending ground breaking ceremony of projects in Lahore@PakPMO https://t.co/JBOlMG2jbo
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) February 11, 2023
The prime minister also spoke about the aspirations of the migrants who migrated to the new country to establish a society based on merit, justice, and equality.
He shared that thousands of migrants sought refuge at the Walton Migrants Camp after the partition of India in 1947, where they were welcomed with open hearts and arms by the local community. He also highlighted that the nation’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah had visited the camp in 1948.
Sharif said this was his eighth visit to the site of the project in the past 25 years, and expressed regret at the lack of visible progress on the ground despite the allocation of over one billion rupees from the national budget.
The prime minister also highlighted his refusal to allow the import of costly tiles for construction and opined it would be a shame for a poor country like Pakistan to use such materials.
The prime minister criticised the double standards of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for targeting innocent people and not summoning those involved in cases like these. He called for burying the rule of “might is right” and emphasized the importance of collective resistance in moving forward on the path of progress and prosperity.
In conclusion, Sharif said that Bab-i-Pakistan should serve as a place for the younger generations and visitors to educate themselves on the history of Pakistan.
Minister for Railways and Aviation, Khawaja Saad Rafique, praised the Central Business District Development Authority (CBDA) for its development projects and spoke about the changes that Walton Road and Bab-i-Pakistan would bring in terms of sports facilities for the common man.
Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, MPs, and civil servants were in attendance.
