Nawaz vows to break the ‘beggar’s bowl’

Prime minister-designate Nawaz Sharif on Saturday vowed that his party’s government would break the “beggar’s bowl”, stating that Pakistan would have to acquire economic autonomy to reclaim respect among the comity of nations.

Spelling out the policy outlines of his government while chairing the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament House, Nawaz said the volatile economic situation was the major cause for poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, energy crisis and terrorism being faced by Pakistan.

He said Rs 550 billion were immediately required to get rid of the circular debt without which the power crisis and load shedding could not be averted.

He said billions of rupees were being lost due to line losses and the government would have to adopt strict and transparent policies to tackle the situation.

Nawaz said the new government would have to take stringent measures to meet the challenges.

“Almighty Allah wants PML-N to achieve aforesaid gigantic tasks and for that purpose, the PML-N members will have to rise above petty personal gains.”

“All of us would have to sacrifice our personal ambitions to ensure deliverance from debts and deficits. The PML-N has no other option but to come up to the public’s aspirations,” he asserted.

The PML-N chief said he was against accepting the top slot based on compromises. He said he would never have opted for any compromise and he did not want premiership for personal benefits. He asked the members not to lobby for offices as the Almighty Allah had chosen them for serving the nation.

“We don’t need to exercise politics for the sake of politics. Rather, we would have to hold the corrupt accountable. I promise that corruption would not be tolerated and I expect the same from my party colleagues,” he added.

Nawaz also pledged to carry forward the Charter of Democracy and move ahead by setting clear priorities that would help reach the destination.

Nawaz was formally nominated as the leader of the House in the National Assembly during the parliamentary party meeting. The meeting was largely attended by the members-elect of the National Assembly of the party.

Nisar Ali Khan presented the resolution for Nawaz’s nomination that was adopted unanimously.

Earlier, Nisar urged the PML-N members to understand that they had moved from opposition benches to the treasury, hence, they would have to change their attitude per the situation.

“Since we are now in the government, we will have to observe open-hearted policy and tolerate criticism from the opposition. We will also have to get rid of aggressive attitudes and rather forbearance and fortitude should be adopted,” he concluded.