Punjab CM tells female MPAs of PML-N to contribute in war against terrorism
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the role of women in national development is of paramount importance as they are talented, educated and hardworking and have proved their worth in different sectors.
Sharif expressed these views while addressing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s women members of the Punjab Assembly.
The Punjab chief minister said that the politics of sit-ins and protests last year caused a heavy loss to the national economy, adding that the visit of the Chinese president to Pakistan in September was cancelled resulting in his visit to India where the two countries signed agreements worth billions of dollars.
Sharif said that those who wasted precious time of the nation did not realise the interests of the country and the common man. “The sit-ins tarnished the image of the county and due to delay in development projects, process of foreign investment also stopped,” he said, adding that although the country has come out of politics of sit-ins and hooliganism, yet the affects of sit-ins would be felt for a long time.
He said that the PML-N government has again started the journey of development, adding that discovery of precious mineral reserves in Chiniot Rajwa is a divine gift for the country. “During the era of dictatorship, the former rulers of Punjab tried to rob these projects and sold these precious mineral reserves to a so-called company at a very low price but the PML-N government has presented these reserves before the people,” he said, adding that the mineral reserves are not the sole property of 100 million people of Punjab but of the entire Pakistani nation.
Sharif told the female lawmakers that according to experts, the reserves of iron ore and copper are spread over an area of 2,000 square kilometres. He said that Chinese and German experts would soon submit a final report to the government in this regard.
The Punjab CM also informed the female lawmakers that a Danish company has identified energy generation through wind at various places of Punjab. He said that according to the company, 1000 megawatt electricity can be generated through wind-powered projects in Punjab.
“Punjab government has set up the first and biggest 100 megawatt solar project of the country through its own resources at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur which is near completion,” he said, adding that this is the first solar project in the world which has been completed expeditiously.
Expressing his views on terrorism and extremism, the chief minister said that terrorism has caused a huge loss to the country. “Winning the war against terrorism is the first and last option. The entire nation from Peshawar to Karachi is united against terrorism,” he said, urging women to also play their role in eliminating terrorism.
