- Says people taunt him, ‘calling me establishment’s man. But this doesn’t bother me’
- Addresses inauguration ceremony of Bhara Kahu bypass completed in nine-month
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday he had held several meetings with army chiefs during his 38 years in politics with the sole objective of making the country progress, as he acknowledged that he can be seen as “the establishment’s man” by his detractors.
“The only objective of those meetings was that politicians and institutions work together to turn the country into a Pakistan for which several Muslims laid their lives,” he reiterated during his address at the inauguration ceremony of Bhara Kahu bypass in Islamabad.
The premier went on to say: “People taunt me, calling me the establishment’s man. But this doesn’t bother me. Why? Because […] I did not intend to get any personal gains.”
He mentioned it was said that he was very close to former army chief and president Pervez Musharraf.
جب ہماری حکومت بنی تو میٹروبس کا منصوبہ کئی سالوں سے بند پڑا تھا، جس کو ہم نے چند ہفتوں میں مکمل کیا اور آج ہزاروں لوگ وہاں سفر کر رہے ہیں۔
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کا بھارہ کہو بائی پاس کی افتتاحی تقریب سے خطاب pic.twitter.com/ueShGH6xM1
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) August 3, 2023
“But did I get anything [out of it]? Nawaz Sharif went to jail and so did I. Nawaz Sharif went to Attock and so did I. Nawaz Sharif went to the Landhi jail and so did I. Nawaz Sharif was sent into exile and so were I and my family. So what did I get?” he said.
The premier also urged the nation on the occasion to make determined and concerted efforts for making Pakistan regain its “grandeur and stature” and so that country was able to compete with the rest of the world.
He highlighted that Pakistan’s eastern neighbour, India, had progressed far ahead of it but at the same time said there would be nothing to worry about if the nation was resolved to work for the country’s progress.
Bhara Kahu bypass project
He recalled that the Bhara Kahu bypass project began in October 2022.
“It has been executed by the NLC (National Logistics Cell) in nine months at a cost of Rs6.25 billion,” the premier said, adding that the bypass’ construction had removed a major bottleneck and reduced travelling time for those commuting to Murree, Azad Kashmir and Galiyat.
اس منصوبے کو مکمل کروانے میں آرمی چیف جنرل عاصم منیر کا اہم رول ہے، ان کی کوشش کے بغیر یہ کام مکمل نہیں ہونا تھا۔ ان کا بے حد شکر گزار ہوں۔
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کا بھارہ کہو بائی پاس کی افتتاحی تقریب سے خطاب pic.twitter.com/luQREfmDvY
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) August 3, 2023
The project, he said, would ease difficulties for several travellers commuting to these destinations from Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He also mentioned that one of the challenges faced in the construction of the project was a land dispute with Quaid-i-Azam University, which was eventually settled through court.
Had there been no such challenges, the project’s construction could have been completed within the three-month period set by him initially, he added.
PM Shehbaz directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to plant a million trees around the bypass, of which 70,000 have already been planted.
“Make Islamabad as beautiful as Baku in Azerbaijan,” he told the CDA.
The premier announced that environment-friendly electric buses were set to reach Islamabad following the opening of letters of credit.
‘PM worked day and night to provide relief to people’
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif worked day and night to provide relief to the people of Pakistan. She said stabilizing Pakistan’s economy is not less than a miracle.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said previous government could not complete a single project in the capital city.
PML-N leader Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary in his speech said this project will not only facilitate people of Islamabad, but it will also facilitate tourists across Pakistan visiting northern areas.
He said rural areas of Islamabad were ignored in past and all development projects were carried out in established sectors of the capital. He said incumbent government introduced bus services for commuters.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said multipurpose sports facility and parks will be established on the left and right side of the bypass.
Speaking on the occasion, PML-N leader Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said Capital Development Authority executed over 150 billion rupees projects in Islamabad. He 160 buses are ready in China to be delivered to Islamabad to facilitate commuters.
Muhammad Hanif Abbasi appreciated Chairman CDA and his team for untiring efforts for development of the federal capital. He said an Olympic Village will be established in Islamabad, while a food street will also be established near 7th Avenue.
He lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his commitment to uplift the economy of the country.
In his remarks Chairman CDA Noorul Amin Mengal said the Authority has completed over 100 billion rupees project in Islamabad in last fourteen months. He said over seventy thousand saplings were also been planted in the capital city.
The Chairman CDA said development projects worth twenty billion rupees are underway in Islamabad and its adjacent areas.
It is pertinent to mention that Bhara Kahu Bypass project includes 5.4 kilometer long bypass and 1350 meters long overhead bridge. This bypass will facilitate people of Murree, Galyat and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
