–Criticises political opponents for ‘failing to serve masses’
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the “eagle eyes” of state institutions were only focused on Punjab.
Addressing a ceremony at Aiwan-e-Iqbal, the chief minister said the public had been served selflessly whenever the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was given an opportunity to serve the people but the National Accountancy Bureau (NAB) and the Supreme Court (SC) were active against corruption only in Punjab.
Even though we welcome it, he said, they should also give attention to the recovery of looted money of the nation and hold others accountable as well.
“We reject the double standards that ignore any corruption outside Punjab,” he maintained and added, “If you have taken the responsibility to eliminate corruption, do it indiscriminately.”
Speaking at the occasion, he also said that loans worth Rs46 billion had been distributed under the Chief Minister’s Self Employment Scheme.
“More than 10 million people have directly or indirectly benefitted from the scheme and the loans return ratio has remained 99.9%,” he said and added that on one side, there were those who returned every penny of the interest-free loans and on the other were the elite who got their loans worth billions of rupees waived off.
Separately, he criticised his political opponents over their failure to serve the people.
While addressing a Labour Day event, Shehbaz questioned what work had his political opponents done in their respective provinces.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan’s manifesto was just staging protests and not doing any work for the people, he remarked.
“The ‘jangla bus’ [a derogatory term used by Imran Khan for metro bus] project in Peshawar will take another year to be completed,” he said, adding that if people gave him another chance in the upcoming general elections then he would ensure the completion of the project.
“Money has been looted in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP),” he said.
He also targeted the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) government in Sindh and said that there had been a tradition of not serving the people in Sindh for years.
He said elections were around the corner and so, Imran Khan and Asif Ali Zardari were “showing political jugglery” to the people.
“Those who have looted the hard-earned money of the poor nation are delivering lectures against corruption while wearing new clothes,” said Shehbaz. He also said the nation had not forgotten the corruption scandals of past rulers.
“I have already said that if corruption worth a single penny is proved against me with regard to my past ten-year stint in the government, I shall be fully accountable before you,” concluded the chief minister.
Earlier, the chief minister congratulated expatriate Pakistani Sajid Javid over becoming home secretary of the United Kingdom (UK) and expressed good wishes for him.
In a felicitation message issued here, Shehbaz expressed satisfaction that a Pakistani Muslim had become the home secretary for the first time in UK’s history and said that it was a matter of pride for the entire country.
“His elevation is the result of hard work and dedication,” said Shehbaz, adding that it would help to further improve the image of Pakistanis at the global level.
The chief minister also congratulated the Pakistani community living in the UK.