Says PTI Chairman Imran Niazi exploited his own created situation which he used for political gains at the country’s cost; claims coalition govt thwarted default threat successfully
DNA
D.I. KHAN, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said despite history’s most difficult period, the coalition government had steered the country out of economic crisis.
During the last 16 months years, the incumbent government faced the most difficult challenges like the devastating flood hit the country soon after it took charge of the office, he added.
The prime minister was speaking as the chief guest at an inaugural and ground breaking ceremony of eight development projects in energy and communication sectors.
“We faced the devastating flood on one side, and inflation, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) pressure, and political crisis on the other. Such challenging problems have never been faced by me in my whole life,” he said.
He said all the coalition government parties had unanimously decided to ensure economic stability at all costs, including their politics. Such a resolve on their part helped the government to bring the country out of crisis. There was record wheat production in a decade, which saved billions of dollars .
However, PTI Chairman Imran Niazi exploited his own created situation which he used for political gains at the country’s cost, he added.
The prime minister said political opponents had wished for the country’s default, which by the blessings of the Almighty reverted due to the efforts of incumbent government.
He said had the former regimes fully utilized the country’s rich resources such as hydro power the country might have affordable and clean energy, and stressed to overhaul the faulty power transmission system causing over Rs 400 billion annual losses to the national exchequer.
PM Shehbaz vowed to break the begging bowl by curtailing the government expenses. A comprehensive plan of the Pakistan Green Initiative had been undertaken to take the country to new heights of development and prosperity.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman thanked the prime minister for his personal interest in ensuring development of the area.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had laid the foundation of many mega projects, which the PTI government seized hampering economic development, he added.
Fazl said industrial estates being established in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan would change the fate of the people of the area.
Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir said the development projects, which remained suspended during 2018 to 2022, were being completed on priority.
He said due to the PM’s personal intervention, 5000 MW of electricity was added to the national grid in just 16 months.
The transmission line in Thar was completed in a few months, while work on three new grid stations of Rs 2 billion in Dera Ismail Khan was initiated by the current government, he added.
Minister for Communications Asad Mehmood said the coalition government was committed to create a road link between the Gwadar Port and the Central Asian countries under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He said the projects inaugurated by Nawaz Sharif were being restored and completed in various areas, especially in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik said on the prime minister’s direction, sufficient supply of energy to the people at affordable price was being ensured.
During the last one year, he said, around 270 mmcf gas worth over $1 billion had been discovered from various areas of the country, and of which 138 mmcf had already been injected to the system while the rest would be included soon.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali, National Assembly Deputy Speaker, provincial ministers and government officials were present on the occasion.
