- Says souls of martyrs of Pakistan Movement still waiting for the country to become Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal
While addressing a special function at Hazoori Bagh on the occasion of Independence Day, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that today the entire nation is celebrating Independence Day at a time when it is grieved due to Quetta tragedy.
He said that prayers and sympathies of 20 crore people are with the bereaved families of martyrs. He said that thousands of people laid down their precious lives for the creation of Pakistan and the souls of those martyrs are still waiting for the country to become Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal in the real sense.
He said that on March 23, 1940, thousands of Muslims, including Ulema from diferent schools of thought, labourers, intellectuals, lawyers and other people gathered on one platform under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for achieving independence from Hindu imperialism. The Muslims displayed unity and solidarity and achieved a separate land.
He said that today, unity is shattered and everyone wants to impose his belief upon others which is against the spirit of Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal. The nation also needs a leader today who can eliminate corruption, ignorance, poverty, disparity between the rich and the poor and plunder of national resources from the country and make such a Pakistan where there is no difference between the elite and the common man and this is the real objective of creating Pakistan, he added. He said that today’s Pakistan is of neither Quaid nor Iqbal.
Chief Minister Sharif said that there is no room for disappointment and it should to be eliminated through unity. He said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is determined to make such a Pakistan as was dreamed by Quaid and Iqbal.
He said that Pakistan was created to uphold honesty, hard work and eliminate corruption, rigging and nepotism. The chief minister asked the participants to tell whether as a nation and leadership we have fulfilled their demands and added that its reply will be negative. He said that politicians, judges, generals, traders, elite and other privileged class have led luxurious life.
The chief minister said that the country and the nation suffered a great loss due to four martial laws in the country. He said that political governments also did not discharge their responsibilities efficiently. Sharif said that this is not time of leveling allegations or abusing each other but accountability. He said that we will have to move forward after learning a lesson from past mistakes and only then, Pakistan will achieve its lost status in the comity of nations.
No attention was paid to eliminating terrorism, extremism and energy crisis in the past which caused a great loss to the country, and poverty and employment increased, and we have to bow before others, he added. The chief minister said that the real freedom cannot be achieved without breaking the begging bowl. He said that we all should mend our ways.
He said that today, those people talk of accountability who have committed full corruption. Sharif said that those raising the slogan of accountability have such people around them who have got written off their loans of billion and trillions of rupees and have stories of grabbing lands in this city.
The Chief Minister said that common man has full right over national resources but he has been deprived of his right through misappropriation of resources. He said that these people spared no effort in ruining the country. Now when work has been started for the improvement of every sector under the leadership of Prime Sharif, these people want to stage sit-ins, he added. Was Pakistan achieved for such purposes, he questioned.
Sharif said that although we have wasted a lot of precious time yet there is time to do work. He said that several achievements have been made at a number of fronts. He said that due to unity of political and military forces, the country has become an atomic power and no one can dare to harm it.
Referring to Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir, the chief minister said that innocent Muslims are being killed in Kashmir. He said that Indian army is killing innocent Kashmiris and freedom movement is being pressed. We did nothing except issuing statements, he added. Had Pakistan been strong, India never had been murdered Kashmiris, he added. Sharif said that Kashmir will become Pakistan on the pattern of East Germany and West Germany united and Berlin Wall collapsed.
The chief minister said that we will have to become economically strong with our hard work and act, not slogans. We will have to pledge not to allow anyone commit corruption and loot national resources and for it, we will have to work round the clock. Sharif said that the youth are bright future of Pakistan and he is sure that the youth will transform Pakistan in accordance with the ideals of Quaid and Iqbal in the real sense. He said that if we will work hard then the day are not far when the Pakistan will become the great power of world community.
He said that Pakistan was made a frontline state in the decade of 80s and it suffered a great loss due to this war. Now we will have to move forward and progress. The chief minister said that political and military leadership has jointly started Operation Zarb-e-Azb during which numerous achievements have been made. He said that Pakistan Army, police and citizens rendered numerous sacrifices in the war against terrorism and if Pakistan did not progress despite these sacrifices, then the historians and new generation will never forgive us. Therefore, we should mend our ways and quit leveling allegations, he added.
The chief minister said that 1,320 megawatts coal power plant is being speedily completed in Sahiwal and this is the first project of such capacity, which is going to be completed in a record period of 23 months. He said that Neelam Jhelum hydro project that started in 2005 during Musharraf era is still not completed and $5 billion are being spent on it while 5000 megawatts electricity can be generated from $5 billion.
He said that common man is not guilty as he was deprived of his right and those who usurped his right are enemy of the people. Sharif said that there is no justice in police station and courts. This time is of accountability and we will have to pledge to make every sacrifice for the motherland and only then the country will be made Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal in the real sense.
Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan and Lahore Administrator Captain (r) Usman Younis also spoke on the occasion. Counsel generals of China and Iran, provincial ministers, members national and provincial assemblies, senior civil and military officers and people from different walks of life were present on the occasion.
