Naya Pakistan can wait, how about making Naya KP first?

PM Sharif says govt elected by 16 million people cannot be forced by a few thousands to resign

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday challenged his political opponents to build a “new Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)” before focusing on “Naya Pakistan”, daring them to bring 16 million people (the number of votes Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz secured in 2013 polls) to sit-ins before demanding his resignation.

“All they want is Nawaz Sharif’s resignation. As many as 16 million people voted for PML-N. How many are demanding my resignation? 15,000? 30,000? Is that all? This is a joke on the people of Pakistan,” Sharif said Wednesday while addressing flood victims at Bait Bakhtiari in Uch Sharif, about 75km from Bahawalpur.

The prime minister regretted that a few thousands of people were demanding his resignation on the plea of rigging in elections. “Rigging can take place where the winning margin is small. How is rigging established when the difference in votes runs over hundred thousand?” he argued.

Taking a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri, the prime minister said that some politicians were doing negative politics in the name of “Naya Pakistan”.

Pointing out that situation in KP had deteriorated in every respect during the last one year, Sharif asked Khan to first prove his mettle in KP, where he had been given mandate to bring about a change.

Commenting on Imran Khan, Sharif said that he was trying to hit “sixes and fours” but did not know that he would be “caught inside the boundary”.

“I speak with caution, I do not hit fours and sixes; I’ve come out of that age. There are others who have also grown out of that age, but they are still hitting sixes and fours. And then they are caught out at the boundary. Their sixes cannot even clear the boundary,” said the prime minister.

The prime minister said the nation is fed up with negative politics and it is time everyone should come forward and serve the masses.

Sharif asked “those who are doing politics from air-conditioned containers” to come out and share problems of the people. He asked them to play their role in mitigating sufferings of the flood-affected people, and alleviation of poverty and promotion of educational and health facilities.

However, Sharif paid tribute to those political parties which he said were supporting “the right path” and were playing a “positive role” in Parliament. “However, some other politicians want to take the country back into the past. They do not want you to be in a better situation. They do not want you to be prosperous,” he said.

SHARIF PROMISES REHABILITATION:

Vowing not to rest until complete rehabilitation, the premier said that he had come to Uch to share the grief of the flood-affected people. He said the government would compensate for the damaged houses and survey is also being carried out for assessment of damages to crops. He said first instalment of Rs 25,000 has been disbursed and process for disbursement of the second instalment of the same amount would begin on 20th of this month.