Keep calm and sit in, work in progress

• PM hits out at PTI during groundbreaking ceremony of Hazara Motorway, terms sit-ins detrimental for country’s progress
• Sharif says electricity shortage will be contained ‘once and for all’ before 2018
• Says those talking of making ‘Naya Pakistan’ are destroying country

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday strongly criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s ongoing anti-government protests for being “detrimental to country’s progress” while addressing a mammoth public meeting at Havelian after laying the foundation stone of Rs 33 billion Hazara Motorway.

“Those talking of making Naya Pakistan are destroying the country while we are making new Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through motorways and dams,” the prime minister said, expressing confidence that the “multi-dimensional developmental programmes” being undertaken by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government would turn Pakistan into “Asian tiger”.

“They will not ensure progress for Pakistan nor will they bring an end to unemployment,” the premier said while commenting on PTI’s protests, promising shortly after that the Lowari tunnel will be completed before the PML-N government’s tenure while the electricity shortage will be countered “once and for all” before 2018.

“Do you want electricity or protests?” the premier asked thousands of supporters at the gathering.

The premier also criticised the abusive language used at the sit-in, saying “Is this the language adolescents will use in Naya Pakistan? I have never heard such falsehood in my entire life.”

PM Sharif termed the construction of Hazara Motorway fulfilment of the pledges he made during general elections. He said the motorway would later be extended to link it with Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad through a tunnel in the Margalla Hills.

Moreover, the premier said that a quality expressway has been completed from Khunjerab to Raikot and now it would be extended from Raikot to Thakot. He said the area would also be linked with railway network connecting it with Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta. He added the government would also complete Islamabad-Muzaffarabad railway during its present tenure.

PM Sharif said that during his meeting with the Afghan president, they agreed to extend the motorway project to Kabul and then onward to Central Asia, ushering in a new era of progress and prosperity.

The prime minister also announced establishment of a university in Hazara and said that once the gas shortage problem is over, Havelian would get gas on priority.

Sharif also announced that the ground breaking of Karachi-Lahore Motorway would be held next month.

Furthermore, the premier said that one thousand schools are being constructed in quake affected areas at a cost of eight billion rupees. These would be completed on fast track, he assured.