No difficulty can hinder the progress of country ‘if we all sit together and end our differences’: PM Shehbaz
LAHORE, July 22 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has once again urged all political parties to agree on unanimous charters of economy and democracy to evolve consensus over national issues to steer the country out of crises.
Addressing a ceremony in n honour of Danish School Graduates in Lahore on Saturday, PM Shehbaz Shairf said no difficulty can hinder the progress of country “if we all sit together and end our differences”.
The PM went on to say that in spite of having trillions of dollars’ worth mineral resources, Pakistan’s economy has been dependent on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout packages. “India has not gone to the IMF since 1991, how many times have we gone,” PM Shehbaz Sharif lamented.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said the government had to “beg” for IMF bailout package as it had become inevitable to avert the looming default.
He added that though the country has successfully averted the default threat, the IMF’s stand-by agreement should be treated as a breather to put the economy on the path of sustainable growth.
“Lets [sign] a charter of economy. Let’s work together on the charter of democracy,” the PM said asking all stakeholders to bury the hatchet to work for the betterment of the country.
He said the risk of default is gone due to agreement with the IMF and now we should convert this breathing space into opportunity. PM Shehbaz Sharif said the obstacles can be removed from the path of development if we get over our differences and become united.
He said the elite of the country criticized his decision to establish Danish schools and despite the opposition the schools were opened in South Punjab.
The Prime Minister said fifty thousand students are getting education in Danish schools and they are securing a prominent position in society due to their hard work.
On appeal of a medical student, he requested the Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister to reinitiate the laptop distribution scheme in the province.
Earlier the Prime Minister distributed cash awards among the students of Danish Schools who got high positions in academic excellence.
Meanwhile earlier on Saturday, the prime minister urged the people to consider the facts involving “pathetic and poor performance of corruption tainted government of Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) with that of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which has always been the pioneer of mega development projects”.
He was addressing a ceremony after stone laying of different significant development projects which included 19kms long Lahore bypass linking Kala Shah Kaku with Lahore-Karachi Motorway at a cost of Rs35 billion.
The PM said they would accept public mandate in the upcoming general elections and if the PML-N under the leadership of its supremo Nawaz Sharif got another opportunity to serve the country, they would restore the real image of Pakistan.
“If the PML-N was in the government during the four years of PTI’s rule, the country would have had a different destiny,” he added.
He also questioned PTI chief Imran Khan claims of recovering $300 billion “plundered wealth” stashed outside Pakistan within ninety days saying the previous government did not get any single penny during its four years in power.
Referring to Rs50 billion amount recovery scandal, he said, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) had investigated the issue and after out of court settlement with the other party, decided to return the amount to the government exchequer but it did not go to State Bank of Pakistan rather went to the Supreme Court “where Niazi’s government became a party”.
“It was a huge crime as to how the national exchequer was plundered,” he said, adding the BRT Peshawar, Toshakhana, Malam Jabba, sugar scams etc were the other major corruption cases of PTI.