- PM says negative politics won’t deliver Khan the goods, asks him to be ‘sobre’
- Sharif performs groundbreaking of Shorkot-Khanewal section of motorway
In an indirect reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) accountability movement and its style of politicking, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said politics is not a one-day or five-day test match as it requires sobriety and vision for being all about public service, not commotion.
“Politicking atop a container is not politics. The sobriety I talk about requires a vision. It teaches to think before you speak,” the premier said while addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Shorkot-Khanewal section of M-4 Motorway between Multan and Faisalabad.
Sharif, without naming the PTI, termed its politics “dirty” and “theatrical”, and stated the country’s progress had been blocked due to its “politics of protest” that would not help them achieve any success.
“Politics is not a theatre, one-day or test match which creates commotion just for the sake of publicity,” he observed, adding he always remained extra careful in selection of words, contrary to an opposition party which used derogatory language.
The premier recalled the same party had used improper words (against him) in its electioneering during the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, but people showed maturity and out-rightly rejected its “dirty” politics.
“They (PTI) are not getting any support for their much-trumpeted movement either because the people need only the politics for progress, prosperity and alleviation of poverty and illiteracy,” he added.
Earlier, PM Sharif performed the groundbreaking of the third section of the Motorway (M-4) Shorkot-Khanewal. Besides a huge public gathering, Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana, Minister for Information Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Sun Weidong, Parliamentary Secretary Communications Mian Alam Dad Laleka, National Highway Authority Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar and MNA Sahibzada Nazeer Sultan attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
The NHA chairman briefed the prime minister on the 65-kilometre section of the motorway that would be completed within 20 months at a cost of Rs 22 billion and would mark the completion of 240-km-long M-4 Motorway.
This road link would provide a shorter and direct connection between the country’s southern and northern parts. Besides boosting trade, this stretch would reduce transportation cost and time from the textiles hub Faisalabad in central Punjab to Multan – a major trade centre of southern Punjab.
The NHA chief said the Shorkot-Khanewal section was divided into two packages, Shorkot-Dinpur (31 kilometres) and Dinpur-Khanewal (34 kilometres) to ensure its timely completion.
It may be mentioned that the Asian Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have contributed funding through co-financing for the project.
Prime Minister Sharif said his government had saved Rs 4 billion of public money from this road contract, recalling a historic saving of Rs 100 billion from the contracts of three LNG-based plants. He said the route of Faisalabad and Gojra had already been completed.
The PM said that cost escalation of projects from Rs 10 billion to Rs 50 billion had been a practice in the past that had now been abandoned.
Pointing at a briefing chart, the premier informed the audience about the countrywide network of motorways worth Rs 850 billion, being developed by his government. He said the previous governments failed to expand Peshawar-Islamabad-Lahore motorways developed by his government till 1999.
“Why were these (motorways) not expanded? Why is only Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government taking it forward? Why no one else thought about road infrastructure, rather the country was dragged into darkness,” he remarked while referring to the energy crisis which, he reiterated, would be overcome by 2018.
Highlighting his government’s achievements, Sharif said contrary to the previous notions of bankruptcy and failed states about Pakistan, the country’s economy had taken a turnaround with record high foreign exchange reserves and established currency value. “Even the international institutions and reputed international newspapers and magazines are acknowledging this positive trend,” he added.
Sharif said the whole country, including Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir would benefit from the road network, being developed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – an unprecedented gift from China worth $46 billion. He further said that Gwadar would be made an international city by developing a port or an airport.
The PM said the government was equally serving all sectors, be it farmers, industrialists or the common man, adding that the prices of fertilisers would be further reduced for uplift of the agriculture sector. He further said the motorway and GT Road would be linked to each other to facilitate the people and for easy transportation of agri produce.
“This is our vision. No one else had such a vision. This is for you, for the people of Pakistan. This did not start from here, but from China border,” the PM said, adding the government was not thinking of just 2018 or next elections, but it was thinking for the next fifty years.
About the ongoing energy shortfall, Sharif said three years ago, the problem of load shedding was at its peak, but by2018 Pakistan would be free of this problem.