- Punjab CM asks hate-mongers to stop telling lies, opposing public welfare projects
The 1,180-megawatt gas-based Bhikki power plant being set up by the Punjab government from its own resources will supply electricity to the whole country, said Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif while addressing the stone-laying ceremony of the power plant in Sheikhupura on Friday.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana, federal and provincial ministers, lawmakers, energy experts and officials of the companies working on the project were present at the ceremony.
The chief minister said this was not the project of Punjab, but of entire Pakistan and under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, it would help strengthen the efforts being made for eliminating the energy crisis.
Shehbaz, in an indirect reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, said that those having expertise in telling lies should stop opposing public welfare projects and start telling the truth since opposing public projects was in fact enmity with the poor Pakistanis. He pointed out that certain political parties had been propagating against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects through media.
He further said that “sometimes these parties termed the CPEC as heavy loans and sometimes false projects” but they had been silenced.
Shehbaz said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sharif, a sum of Rs 110 billion of the poor nation had been saved in 3600-megawatt gas-based power projects. He expressed the hope that the government’s sincere efforts would eventually bear the fruit, remarking that “this day is very important in the history of Pakistan”. He said Prime Minister Sharif had made planning to end load-shedding in the country two years ago and this was an important and biggest step towards that journey.
The chief minister said Pakistan was facing two big problems of terrorism and energy crisis, adding that under the leadership of PM Sharif, work was being carried out for eliminating terrorism and darkness throughout the country.
He said the decision which was taken jointly by the federal government, army and political leaders for eliminating terrorism had also started yielding positive results. He added that the operation Zarb-e-Azb had hit terrorists hard, and recalled that the army, police, security institutions and people had rendered unprecedented sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
Shehbaz expressed the hope that these sacrifices would bear the fruit and the motherland would become haven of peace. He said work was being carried out on energy projects in various parts of the country, including 1320-megawatt coal-based projects in Sahiwal, solar power project in Bahawalpur, Port Qasim and Thar.