HAVELI BAHADUR SHAH, July 7 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif Friday challenged his political opponents to compete the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) in politics, advising them to desist from hatching conspiracies and indulging in such other practices.
“You repeatedly faced electoral defeats from PML-N,
and we will continue to defeat you. You cannot win elections,
but only conspire,” he said while addressing a public
gathering after inaugurating the first unit of 1,230 MW Haveli
Bahadur Shah Power Plant here in district Jhang.
Without naming any political party, the prime minister
continued, “Since you don’t have the power to win elections,
you just conspire either in the garb of `dharnas’ or in the
name of accountability.”
“Then you hide yourselves behind the JIT. It is
cowardice. Instead, you should come and compete in politics,”
he said, adding, “The nation knows about our positive work and
contribution, and nation also knows well about what you have
been doing for the last four years.”
The prime minister said his government would continue
pursue its agenda of development and the service of people.
The prime minister referred to the situation of
political ‘uncertainty’ and ‘instability’ and said it also hit
the country’s stock market over the past few days and affected
the value of rupee against US dollar.
He, however, added that as his government had a strong
determination to move ahead and serve the people, and would
not be deterred by the hue and cry being made by our political
opponents.
The prime minister said even on July 10, the day when
the JIT would present its report, he would perform the ground-
breaking of a mega Dasu Hydropower Project, having a capacity
of generating 4,500 mega-watts of electricity.
Similarly, he said, Diamer Bhasha Dam was also in the
preparation phase, and after completion, it would not only
generate 4,500 mega-watts of electricity but would serve as a
huge water reservoir to irrigate our agricultural lands.
Speaking about Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant, the
prime minister said the project was completed in historic 21
months time, adding, a new trend had been created in the
country where mega projects were being completed in shortest
possible time.
He said with dozens of power projects launched by the
present government, it had succeeded in adding 7,000 MW of
electricity to the national grid so far.
The prime minister said it was not a normal thing that
lights were coming back to the country and eliminating the
darkness created due to the criminal negligence of past
regimes including a dictator.
The prime minister said besides the huge development
work being carried out in Balochistan, the government was also
constructing motorways in KP.
Moreover, he added the government had provided Rs26
billion for the completion of Lowari Tunnel Project over the
last two years, adding, the tunnel project which was lingering
on over the last several decades would be inaugurated within
the next two months.
Similarly, he said coal projects were
being initiated in Thar, Sindh.
He also mentioned Metro and Orange Line projects as
achievements of PML-N in bringing about a revolutionary change
in the life of commuters, who used to spend a lot of time and
money to reach offices, schools and colleges on daily basis.
“But now they reach their destinations in Rs20 to 25
with respect and comfort,” he said and added
their political opponents also did not hesitate to criticize
and ridicule such service-oriented projects.
The prime minister said the government had spent Rs8
billion for improving railway and work was underway to
enhance the speed of locomotives from 80 km to 120 km
per hour, adding it would transform the railway system.
He lauded the efforts of Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz
Sharif and others in the early completion of Haveli Bahadur
Shah Power Project, adding it was producing electricity on a
cheaper Rs6.42 per unit as against the past projects.
The prime minister also mentioned the Sahiwal Coal Power
Project and said it had added 1,320 MW of electricity to the
national grid.
He said the time was not far away when Pakistan would be
included in the list of developed countries.
Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif while speaking on the occasion
said the nation would always remember the sagacious leadership of
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for steering the country out of the
power crisis.
He said today was a historic day as first unit of 1,230 MW of Bahadur
Shah Haveli Power Plant was completed in just 21 months period.
He said not only this power plant but the other power plants, earlier
inaugurated by the prime minister were completed in a fair and transparent manner.
He said Bahadur Shah Power Plant was a gift to the people of Pakistan
and was another feather in prime minister’s cap.
Shehbaz Sharif said the government had saved Rs168 billion in
transparent and timely completion of Bhikki, Bahadur Shah Haveli and Baloki power plants.
Lashing out at the previous government’s policy, he said, such kinds
of power plants were installed in the past but there was no transparency in it and the national kitty suffered billions of rupees losses.
He said per MW price of Bahadur Shah Haveli is $488,000 while such
kind of a power plant was installed in Guddu in 2013 at a price of $838,000
per MW, similarly, he added Kuchh Power Plant was installed by the
previous government at a price of $947,000 per MW in 2013.
The chief minister also questioned the kickbacks in Nandipur Power
Plant by previous government which suffered the national kitty additional cost of Rs15 billion.
He said billions of rupees were looted in the previous government
just in Neelum Jhelum, Nandipur and NCL projects.
Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Mohammad Asif said it was another
milestone achieved by the present government to get the country out of
loadshedding.
He said when the PML-N government came into power, there was a big
difference in power supply and generation but due to the visionary leadership of the prime minister our production capacity had reached to 19,148 MW and by 2018 it would reach to 24,000 MW.
Khawaja Asif said our opponents were scared of the speedy and timely
completion of these power plants and fulfillment of our promise to end
loadshedding in the country.
He said this promise of the prime minister, to end loadshedding in
Pakistan, was going to complete and Pakistan would become energy sufficient
country.
