Upcoming elections to bury politics of deceit forever: Shehbaz

–ex-MNA from PPP joins PML-N

–Outgoing CM briefs media on Punjab govt’s performance

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the upcoming elections would “bury the politics of deceit forever” as the people could not be lied to through hollow slogans of change anymore.

Presiding a parliamentary board meeting of PML-N, Shehbaz said the conscious people of Pakistan were siding with his party and so the PML-N would stand victorious in the general polls. He said the party lived in the hearts of every Pakistani because of its public service and the journey of composite development had been moved forward speedily during the past five years.

Conducting interviews of ticket aspirants belonging to Sahiwal division, the outgoing chief minister said that candidates having a record of public service would be prioritised for party tickets.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former federal and provincial ministers including Khawaja Saad Rafique, Chaudhry Sher Ali, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Rana Tanvir Hussain, Khurram Dastagir Khan, Chaudhry Tanvir, Ahsan Iqbal and others were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, Shehbaz directed all candidates submitting applications for party tickets to submit their nomination papers as well. While issuing the directions during a meeting at PML-N Secretariat, Shehbaz said that candidates had been issued directions to immediately deposit their nomination papers to save time.

He said that the remaining aspirants would withdraw their nomination papers on the issuance of party tickets and added, “The PML-N candidates will take part in the elections with complete preparations.”

Separately, former Member National Assembly (MNA) of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Tariq Shabbir Mayo called on the PML-N president and announced joining the party along with his colleagues.

He also expressed complete confidence in Shehbaz’s leadership and said that PML-N was the sole representative of the masses which had fulfilled the responsibility of public service.

Shehbaz, at the occasion, welcomed Tariq Shabbir and his colleagues to the party and said that pivot of PML-N’s politics was public welfare. “That is the reason why PML-N is the most popular and largest political party in the country,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that Chaudhry Shabbir Mayo, father of Tariq Shabbir Mayo had twice remained an MNA of the PPP.

SHEHBAZ BRIEFS MEDIA ON PUNJAB GOVT’S PERFORMANCE:

Shehbaz on Tuesday briefed the media on Punjab government’s performance during the past five years and trained guns at his political opponents, especially Imran Khan, for “obstructing the journey of development”.

He said that the government tolerated PTI allegations day and night, but responded only by serving the people and the past five years were enough for showing the nation who was right and who was wrong.

Highlighting the development work carried out across Punjab, Shehbaz said the province took the lead in instituting a culture of efficiency, transparency and savings in the execution of public development projects.

“The electorate will deliver their verdict on who did what while in government,” he said and questioned what the PTI had done in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

“Punjab transformed the public transport infrastructure,” he said, citing examples of three Metro bus systems, the upcoming Orange Line Metro Train Project & Speedo buses.

“Look at how PTI dug out entire Peshawar for the BRT project,” Shehbaz lamented.

Discussing the power situation in the country, Shehbaz pointed out that Punjab had set up power projects out of its own resources in addition to overseeing CPEC and completed the federal power projects in record time. “But what did PTI do for construction of any hydropower project in KP?” he questioned.

On education reforms, Shehbaz noted that under the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, scholarships worth Rs17 billion have been distributed among 350,000 underprivileged students on merit.

He said that the province brought 90,000 children working at the brick-kilns to schools by offering their families financial incentives.

“Punjab has set up 19 universities and 200 new colleges during the tenure,” he added.

Lavishing praise on the ruling PML-N supremo, Shehbaz said that the federal government under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s leadership brought about marked improvements in areas of counter-terrorism, energy and economy.

Pakistan’s armed forces and other law enforcement agencies rendered countless sacrifices to reduce terrorism to its lowest point, he noted.

In the health sector, Shehbaz pointed out that Punjab established state-of-the-art Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre.

“Two kidney transplants have been carried out successfully, while free medical treatment to kidney and liver patients will save them from traveling to India for transplant,” he said.

Vowing to build dams if elected to power again, Shehbaz said that it was then PML-N government that completed the land acquisition procedure for Diamir Basha Dam by spending Rs100 billion.

Replying to a question, he said that working on the Kalabagh dam project without the approval of all provinces would be “sheer cruelty” and added that the dam was a feasible project that would tremendously benefit the economy, but nothing was more important than national unity.

“Sometimes huge sacrifices need to be made to maintain unity,” he said.