Expressing serious reservations over the PTI-led government decisions to increase gas, electricity and fertilizer prices just 20 days after assuming office, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif Saturday said those moves would cast negative impact on the country's exports apart from hitting common man and farmers hard.
While addressing a press conference along with former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal and Marriyum Aurangzeb at the PML-N Secretariat, Shahbaz said such a massive increase in prices had never been announced before at once. "We will become the voice of farmers and common man and raise voice inside and outside the parliament," he said.
He added the PML-N government had given subsidies of billions of rupees on fertilizer and agricultural tube wells but the PTI government was causing serious blow to the agriculture sector through such actions.
Expressing concern over long hours of loadshedding in rural and urban areas of the country, he said when the PML-N government left the power corridors there was no loadshedding but now six hours loadshedding was going on in urban areas and 8-10 hours in rural areas.
Recalling his previous statement, he said when the incumbent government would not provide gas and coal to electricity producing units how they could produce electricity. He said there was no justification of electricity loadshedding as a number of electricity producing units were established in which saving of over Rs 160 billion was made.
Criticizing Prime Minister Imran Khan, the PML-N Chief said he (Imran) did not come into power through votes. "PM Imran was not elected but came into power through rigging," he said. "On the day of election for the prime minister, PM Imran assured him that a parliamentary commission will be formed to probe into opposition's rigging allegations; however, the commission has still not been formed after three weeks. We will ensure that a commission is made at any cost," he said, adding: "PM Imran should fulfil his promises."
"I demand constitution of commission comprising parliamentary committees. Besides probing rigging, the [would be] commission should also table recommendations to curb illicit practice of rigging in polls once and for all," he said.
Reacting to Prime Minister Imran Khan's address, the PML-N president said: "We spent Rs 122 billion for Bhasha Dam. You do not need to collect funds for Diamer-Bhasha Dam but should attract investors. There should be no delay in power production through Bhasha Dam," he asserted. "There was no need to amass fund for the cause, rather investors should be encouraged to invest in the mega-project," he said. To a query, he said the PTI's performance regarding power generation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa "is in front of the nation". Shahbaz also criticised the government's decision to end the ex-premier's laptop scheme, and said laptops were not given to politicians or the rich but to students who achieved top scores and needed them. "This is the age of information and technology and you are depriving the poor of the facility to have an access to information through laptops," he added. Regarding PM Imran's decision to auction PM House's luxury cars, Shahbaz said: "We held an auction of cars at Qaddafi Stadium." Further, taking a hit at PM Imran's austerity drive, Shahbaz said: "We ate Daal Chawal during meetings and only made special arrangements during visits of foreign dignitaries."
While addressing another gathering, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said former premier Nawaz Sharif should be freed for Pakistan to survive. "Evidence is now being searched after sentencing Nawaz who had set out along with thousands for the freedom of judiciary," he said. "We thought we would be given protection but look where we have been made to stand now."
"A man who was not elected has been appointed prime minister," he said, adding "this man who has been made premier was hiding at that time".
"It has been 22 days to 'Naya Pakistan' but nothing concrete has been done so far," he said. "We also have the option to take to streets but we have taken an oath to respect the polls even though they were not fair. For Pakistan's survival, Nawaz will have to be freed from jail," he added. "Pakistan should not be taken towards anarchy and people should be granted their rights," Saad stressed.
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