PM asks people to make right decision in elections or repent for five years

KOT MITHAN, May 26 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday advised the people to use their vote
to elect a deserving party in upcoming general election in July this year, else they
would have to repent for next five years.
“If we wasted our vote on petty issues, we will have to repent for five years as we
have been repenting from 2008 to 2013. Have we forgotten the time when development
work worth even a penny was not done across Pakistan? That government was also
voted in by you. You also voted in (another) government in 2013. You have witnessed
the difference,” the prime minister said addressing a public gathering after inaugurating
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Bridge over River Indus here.
He was accompanied by Governor Punjab Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana, Minister
for Water Resources Javed Ali Shah and other parliamentarians from the area.
Completed at cost of Rs 8 billion, the bridge would provide an important communication
link across the Indus River between Zahirpur on G.T. Road (N-5) and Indus Highway (N-55)
cities via Mithankot. The bridge is 1.2 kilometers long and 12.2 metres wide.
The bridge will greatly facilitate the traffic from Karachi, Kashmore etc on the Western
side and Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore on the Eastern side,
being a short route from Karachi to Lahore.
The prime minister told the gathering that work on the bridge was started during the
previous government but, like other projects, it was also left incomplete.
He said the bridge was located close to the Sukkur-Multan Motorway that would cost
Rs 294 billion and reduce the distance from Kot Mithan to Lahore to four hours and seven
hours to Karachi.
He said the motorway would not only ensure safe travel for the residents but also
ease transportation of agriculture produce to the markets.
The prime minister also spoke high of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who had
carried out massive development in the province, be it universities, schools, hospitals or
roads.
He said the government had added 10,400 MW of electricity to national grid and the
power plants, being installed to cope with country’s needs for next 20 years. “This could
have been done in the past too. A dictator also ruled for 10 years but you will find no sign
of it here,” he added.
He said only the democracy could guarantee the national development.
Prime Minister Abbasi told the gathering that as the elections were approaching,
many people would approach them with varying slogans and claims, but it was up to
them to make a right decision.
He said South Punjab card was also used during last elections, though the
Punjab Assembly had already passed a resolution for the purpose.
He said besides South Punjab, there was also a demand for Bahawalpur
and other provinces and stressed the need for national dialogue to seek the
solution.
He said two days ago, a national consensus was evolved to legislate the
merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that could also be replicated to resolve
other national issues.
The prime minister said those who had arisen for South Punjab province, joined
another political party within days and advised people, not to fall prey to any
slogans.
He said such people should have waited for the end of government’s term as
the deserters could never win respect among masses.
The prime minister said in July election, the people would have to chose between
the politics of respect and development and that of abuses and mudslinging.
He told the gathering that the government had initially allocated Rs 400 million
for 80-km log gas pipeline from Rojhan to Rajapnpur, Jampur and Muhammadpur but
the work was halted after the Election Commission put ban on development projects
ahead of elections.
To the public demand of a university in the area, the prime minister said the
federal government had already formulated a policy to establish a university
in every district and Rajanpur would also benefit from the same policy.