Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that politics is not a one-day or five-day Test match as it requires practitioners of politics to demonstrate a great deal of sobriety and vision to serve masses in an effective and meaningful manner. Terming politics of an opposition party `dirty' and 'theatrical', he said: "Politics is not a theatre, nor is it a one-day or Test match which creates commotion just for the sake of publicity."
"Politics on a container is never called politics. The sobriety I talk about requires a vision. It teaches you to think before you speak," the prime minister stated this while addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Shorkot-Khanewal section of M-4 Motorway between Multan and Faisalabad here. He said that he always remained extra careful in the selection of words, contrary to an opposition party that often uses derogatory language against him.
"It also used improper words against him during its electioneering in Azad Kashmir elections but people showed maturity and out-rightly rejected this dirty politics," he added. Governor Punjab Malik Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana, Minister for Information Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Sun Weidong, Parliamentary Secretary Communications Mian Alam Dad Laleka, Chairman National Highway Authority Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Member National Assembly Sahibzada Nazeer Sultan also attended the ceremony.
The Chairman NHA briefed the prime minister on 65-kilometre section of Shorkot-Khanewal Motorway that would be completed within 20 months, costing Rs 22 billion; and it marks the completion of 240-km M-4 Motorway. This road-link would provide a shorter and direct connection between southern port cities of Karachi and Gwadar with the north of country.
Besides boosting trade, the motorway would reduce transportation cost and time from the textiles hub Faisalabad in Central Punjab to Multan- a major trade centre of Southern Punjab. The NHA chief said Shorkot-Khanewal section was divided into two packages - including Shorkot-Dinpur (31 kms) and Dinpur-Khanewal (34 kms) - to ensure its timely completion.
The prime minister said they (PTI) were not getting any support for their much-trumpeted movement because the people needed only politics for progress, prosperity and alleviation of poverty. The government had saved Rs 4 billion of public money through this road contract. He recalled a historic saving of Rs 100 billion from the contracts of three LNG-based plants.
Pointing at a briefing chart, he also informed the audience about the countrywide network of Rs 850 billion motorways being developed by his government. He said the previous governments failed to expand Peshawar-Islamabad-Lahore motorways developed by his government till 1999.
"Why these (motorways) were not expanded. Why only we are taking it forward? Why no one else thought about the road infrastructure? Rather the country was plunged into darkness, what to talk of construction of roads," he said. He said contrary to the previous notions of bankruptcy, the country's economy has taken a turnaround with record high foreign exchange reserves and established currency value. Even the international institutions and reputed international newspapers and magazines are also acknowledging this positive trend, he added.