'Will inject money to make flour cheap in KP if CM fails': PM Shehbaz

Bisham: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said he would divert money to make flour cheap in Khyber Pakhthunkhwa if the Chief Minister failed to do it.

"Like Punjab the residents of KP should have access to cheap flour," he said while addressing a public meeting in Shangla. 

He said the PTI has been in power in KP for the last eight years, but how many hospitals did the government build in the province?

"If Allah Almighty gives me an opportunity, there will be free treatment in the entire KP

Recalling achievements of PML-N governemnt, Shehbaz said the PTI rulers installed plaques on the projects of the Nawaz era and the metro bus service was made active in 11 months. 

He said inflation wreaked havoc across the country and a loan of Rs24,000 billion was taken in four years in the PTI regime.

He assured that the coalition government would work ceaselessly to transform Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into a developed province and provide all the basic facilities which had been taken out of the reach of the poor people by the incompetence and corruption of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a development grant of Rs2 billion for Bisham tehsil to resolve civic and municipal issues related to water and road maintenance.

Addressing a large gathering in Bisham, he also announced a medical college for the area.

The prime minister referring to the PTI’s provincial government, questioned how many hospitals and health facilities, it had constructed and provided free of cost treatment and medicines to the poor people during its rule!

Criticizing the previous PTI’s government, he said the price hike had reached to a historic peak in the last four years with huge debt hovering around Rs24,000 billion.

“Due to their corruption and incompetency, the previous rulers even did not put a single brick to the stalled projects, the BRT was delayed causing billion of rupees losses,” he said, adding the former rulers only unveiled plaques of the projects launched by the PML-N government.

He said during the PML-N rule in Punjab province, the orphans, widows and hopeless were provided with free-of-cost treatment and now the same facilities had been restarted after gap of four years. The medicines were being provided irrespective of the class differences, he added.

The prime minister also assured similar provision of health facilities in KPK as well.

He said that his government would leave no stone unturned to provide all the basic facilities of life to the people of the province, regretting that basic items like wheat and sugar had been taken out of the reach of the poor people by the former PTI government.

The prime minister said during the holy month of Ramzan, he had announced a reduction in the prices of flour and sugar in Punjab province.

He further informed that the provincial government in Punjab would soon announce similar relief to the people and urged KPK chief minister to follow the suit to provide relief to the masses.

The prime minister said if his request was not heeded to, he would come forward to serve the masses in KPK with the provision of such relief.

He stressed that uniform development of all provinces was must for the progress and development of the country.

He also appealed to chief minister KPK to provide free-of-cost medicines and treatment to the poor families.

The prime minister said “Shehbaz Sharif is ready to embark upon such initiatives as the national resources belong to all provinces. I will sell my clothes to provide relief to the people of KPK.”

The prime minister lamented that country’s economy had been left in dire straits by the inept rulers of PTI.

“It is not the same Pakistan for which its ancestors had given huge sacrifices, where health and education (facilities) are not equal for everyone. It is the right of every citizen to excel in every field of life by availing the equal opportunities,” he added.

The prime minister said Pakistan had been searching for its destination marred by incompetence and corruption during the last four years, the miseries of the public were further compounded by power load-shedding and unavailability of gas. 

Nawaz Sharif’s government had installed new power plants with the capacity of generating thousands of megawatts of power which were shut down by the PTI’s government, he added.

In a veiled reference to former prime minister Imran Khan, he said a person lied and misled the nation during the last four years.

Now he was shy of mentioning any achievement of his government as he had fears to inform the public about the record price hike of flour and sugar and the load-shedding. They left the national coffer empty due to the ballooning of debts during their rule, he added.

He said the coalition government was working day and night to transform Pakistan as envisioned by Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The prime minister said that he would never lie before the people of KPK, neither would make false promises and if he erred, he would seek for forgiveness.

He assured that he would visit the province again when the implementation of his announcements starts taking place.

The prime minister asked the people to make a solemn pledge to strive with sweat and blood for the progress and prosperity of the country as going out with a begging bowl was not a solution to the economic woes of the country.

He also mentioned his recent meetings with the Saudi and UAE Crown Princes and appreciated their kind gesture towards the people of Pakistan.

The prime minister also appreciated the people of KPK that had always rendered unmatched sacrifices for the country by upholding the national flag high, adding the history of the province was replete with such sacrifices.

The prime minister also announced the construction of a medical college and grant of Rs2 billion for the streets and roads in the area.

He also apprised that it was hardly a three weeks period, after he took charge of Khadim e Pakistan, that he had toured the whole country and decided to visit Shangla, to kickstart his KPK visits. The area was inhabited by ‘lions’ of Nawaz Sharif, he added.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb was also present.

PML-N provincial president and PM’s advisor Engineer Amir Muqam, Dr Abdullah MNA, Rashad Khan, Fazal Ullah PML-N leaders and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi also spoke on the occasion.

They said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the country would achieve rapid progress and prosperity, adding the PML-N would eliminate PTI from the province in the next general elections on the basis of its performance.

They said that the journey of progress initiated by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would be resumed. 

Murtaza Abbasi thanked the prime minister for ridding the nation from the incompetent government of PTI and expressed the hope that the PML-N government would alleviate the deprivation of the people of the province caused by the PTI government.

Amir Muqam said that the prime minister was working relentlessly without considering his health.

The previous government of PTI had not given anything to the nation except falsehood, lies and accusations during its four years rule, he said, adding within days, Shehbaz Sharif had resumed the stalled metro bus service in Islamabad, showing commitment and devotion.

The prime minister during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab had always supported the people of KPK during difficult times and dispatched much-needed relief after the natural disasters.

The people of this district had been patriotic and fully supported the armed forces and law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism, he added.