It appears that the ruling PML-N has entered the election mode. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Hazara Motorway, Shah Maqsood section, the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the government has fulfilled most of the promises made to the people before 2013 elections. He said our actions speak louder than words. The country will become self sufficient in power production by 2030. The Prime Minister lashed out at PTI and said that a record number of roads and highways have been built despite the sit-ins. He opined that political issues are resolved politically and not decided in courts.
There is no denying the fact that the present PML-N government has completed a number of mega projects for improving roads infrastructure and power sector but its development strategy is lopsided because the trickle down effect of development projects do not reach the common man in a sustainable manner. Human resource development has been ignored. The number of children out of schools is 800 million. Health sector is in shambles and the people do not get proper treatment facilities in government hospitals. The water supply condition is far from satisfactory as 90 percent of people don not get clean drinking water. Sewerage and sanitation systems have chocked even in the cities like Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan. The funds allocated for social sector development are diverted to the projects like metro bus and orange train. Country is heading towards abject poverty as 40 percent of population is living below the poverty line and unemployment rate is all-time high.
On the macro side, expansion of productive capacity of the economy is completely out of focus. Construction of big dams including Kalbagh, Diya-Mir Bash and Monda has been pushed to the bottom of priority list. No serious efforts are being initiated, out of sheer political expediency, to evolve a consensus paving the way for the construction of Kalbagh Dam. Water experts have repeatedly issued warnings of acute water crisis in case seriousness is not shown for construction of big and medium size dams on war footings. Pakistan has been ranked 7th vulnerable country in the global climate change index issued by German- Watch. But ironically, out of 10 powers projects only two are hydro and one is solar. The under completion Nelum Jehlum hydro power project was launched by Musharraf government besides three such projects in Hazara division.Seven projects are carbon mono oxide and other poisonous gases emitting coal based thermal power plants of very obsolete Chinese technology with no built-in Carbon Scrubbles like the German coal fired thermal power plants though Germany has started its gradual shut down and closure on permanent basis to avoid health hazards. The thirteen coals based power plants that under construction in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh will cause the diseases like Asthma and Cancer about which opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah has already expressed concern in one of the Standing Committee meetings. There is no energy policy for achieving the optimal energy mix to provide electricity and gas at the affordable Tariffs to the domestic and commercial consumers. The myopic energy strategy has sky rocketed the power and gas prices wiping out the comparative advantage of our primary commodities and finished goods in the international market. It was because of low quality and high prices that our exports to the European Countries did not get momentum despite the GSP plus facility and exports declined by $ 5 billion.
The allegation of creating disorder and political instability against the opposition is not true. It is the disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who has embarked upon headlong confrontation with state institutions and is bent upon creating anarchy and disorder. The Panama Papers case was a big corruption scandal and hence it had to be decided by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It was not a political issue to be sorted out by politicians. The same rule applies to the NAB references under trial in the National Accountability Court. Corrupt politicians have been tried and convicted in other countries as well and Pakistan is no exception. In India, former Chief Minister of Bihar and Union Railway Minister in Dr. Manmohin Singh cabinet, Lalo Prasad Jadhev was convicted and sentenced for five years imprisonment in fodder scam in September 2013. He also stands disqualified for contesting election of Lok Saba or state’s Assembly seat. The sitting Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indra Ghandi was de-seated by Allabad High Court after proven guilty of rigging in election of her constituency. The rule of law applies to all citizens of the country irrespective of ones political, economic and social status.
