F.P. Report
HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday called upon the critics of Pakistan Muslim League-N government to compare its performance with all the previous governments in terms of number of mega development projects completed in the last five years.
He said despite all hollow allegations levelled by certain quarters, the PML-N government would go for completion of all uplift projects, aimed at progress and prosperity of the country.
The prime minister was addressing a gathering after inaugurating KPD-TAY Integrated Gas Processing Facility at Tando Jam. Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair, senators Rahila Magsi and Taj Afridi, high authorities and a large number of people were present on the occasion. He regretted that previous regimes did not pay heed to projects of national importance which hit snags causing losses of billion of rupees to the national kitty and cited the KPD-TAY integrated gas processing facility as one among them.
He said, “I challenge all who spoke against the PML-N government to hold open debate with us on any issue, including power, infrastructure and energy, and the projects completed by the past governments.” The prime minister also underscored the importance of continuity in the democratic process and said the PML-N government was going to complete its term and would add strength to the system.
The government had added to the economic stability and presented the sixth public-friendly budget, he said, adding it was the difference between the PML-N and other parties. The prime minister, in response to criticism by the political opponents, said the public had given mandate to his government to work till last day in the office.
The parliament had to approve the budget and the next government could alter it, he said and declared that the PML-N would form the next government as well. He also challenged that the budget contained such public friendly measures that the upcoming government would find it difficult to even change a single word in it. The prime minister said the third lane in the super highway from Hyderabad to Karachi was added by the PML-N whereas no government in the past ever looked towards it.
Could they cite any development work carried out for the people of Sindh province, he questioned and announced the other two lanes in the same highway would also be added by the PML-N which was the main difference between working of his government and the others. “It is my clear challenge, come and compare the governments of Musharraf and PPP with the performance of the PML-N. There is an evident difference. The PML-N outperformed all the governments in the past 65 years on the basis of completion of mega projects. The people can easily discern as to who is performing,” he added.
He said he did not want to wade through the allegations leveled by the political adversaries. The governments which stuffed their pockets could not deliver. The PML-N governments always delivered on their promises and there were no allegations against them. The party always spoke about the national progress, he added. The prime minister also reminded the gathering about the murkier situation during 2013 when the country was faced with crippling energy and power issues. Industries were shut, there was no power and gas and the fertilizer was imported. Growth rate of the country was hovering below three per cent.
He said the law and order in Karachi was alarming at that time when the PML-N took reins of power. “Today the situation is completely changed. Karachi which was once included among the five dangerous cities of the world, now turned out as a destination of attraction for investors and visitors. Now people from the outside flocked the port city.”The prime minister said those people were now criticizing the tax reforms introduced by his government had not been paying taxes. He said the taxes had been halved and there was no precedent of such relief measure throughout the world.
He called upon the critics of tax reforms package to divulge how much taxes they had paid in the last five years. The prime minister further reminded that paying taxes was the national responsibility and not an individual choice. He also declared that the government would chase the tax evaders as paying taxes would strengthen the national economy. He also lauded the OGDCL (Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd) for the completion of KPD-TAY integrated gas processing facility, terming it a project of national importance. It was a project worth Rs 50 billion and pending since 2008.
