- PM lashes out at dictators; says will out terrorism from Pakistan
- Says Karachi operation not targeted against any specific political party
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said most of his government’s time is consumed in tackling terrorism and the acute energy crisis which leaves little time for development works.
Expressing strong resolve to eliminate terrorism, Sharif said the military operation against terrorists in North Waziristan that started in June last year will continue till the elimination of the last terrorist.
“Come what may the operation against terrorists will continue in the country till elimination of the last terrorist,” he said and praised the army for breaking “the back of terrorists”.
“I am working hard to curb terrorism and overcome energy crisis. I spend 90 per cent of my time on these issues. And because of this, not much time is left to look into the other matters related to development works,” Sharif said addressing businessmen in Sialkot.
He also lashed out military dictators, saying they were responsible for halting the country’s progress.
Sahrif also made it clear that anti-crime drive in Karachi was not against any political party. Sharif reminded that he had dissolved his government and imposed Governor’s Rule in Sindh after the murder of Hakeem Muhammad Saeed.
The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), which has stronghold in Karachi, accused the government of targeting it for “not cooperating with it in Senate elections”.
The prime minister said the government was committed to making Karachi peaceful so that investors could utilise the existing excellent infrastructure of the port city.
He said incidents of kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings and heinous crimes had declined following the operation and hoped that life in the city would soon return to normalcy and make it a haven for industrialists and investors from across the world.
He said the PML-N government was not doing any favour by conducting the operation, rather it was doing so because of its national obligations. It was the responsibility of the government to make Karachi and the entire country peaceful, he added.
ENDING ENERGY CRISIS:
Sharif also claimed that his government would overcome energy crisis in two to three years.
“A country without gas and electricity cannot progress,” he said.
Currently, Pakistan’s demand for electricity is around 14,000 MW as compared to total generation of 7,000 MW and the crisis has been aggravated by petrol shortage.
The government, he said, was also working hard to lower the prices of fertilizers so that the rate of agricultural products decline and their production increases. This, he said, would help reduce inflation rate and increase exports.
He announced that the government would construct an expressway between Sialkot and Lahore. The PM also stressed the need for setting up a technology university in Sialkot to benefit youngsters, industrialists and exporters.