Central leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and former chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has said that the government has allocated Rs 1000 billion for Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the budget 2017-18 but this huge amount is meant to buy the upcoming general election for N-Leaguers
He was addressing a press conference along with party secretary general and MNA Tariq Bashir Cheema here on Sunday Pervez Elahi further said that despite announcing Rs 341 billion Kissan Package, only Rs 20 billion were released that also was swallowed by N-Leaguers and Patwaris.
"Nawaz Sharif's agriculture policies are meant to please Indian Prime Minister Modi. "Indian farmers are being made prosperous and our farmers miserable" he opined. He said the rulers should stop oppression of the farmers, in parliament they talk about Kissan package and outside they baton charge the poor farmers. Bitterly criticising the next year's federal budget, Elahi said that only Rs 12 billion have been allocated for drinking water whereas Rs 21 billion have been allocated for lap tops scheme.
He alleged that the Sharif brothers' performance was zero as economically they have drowned the country; every Pakistani is under debt of Rs one lakh 13 thousand and no relief has been provided to the people in the budget. Price hike is 50 percent but salary has been increased only 10 percent.
Continuing, Pervez Elahi said that the defense budget has not been increased but reduced, in 2008 during our tenure defense budget was 2.6 percent of GDP which they have reduced it to 1.7 percent of GDP Pervez Elahi said that their "awam dosti" can well be judged by instead of medicines, telephone calls have been made cheaper, "What is the benefit of abolishing "Parchi Fee" if neither there are doctors nor medicines in the hospitals?
He said instead of ending the electricity load-shedding, the government has increased load shedding in Ramadan; shortfall today is 7000 megawatt. He reiterated that the country will make progress only if Kalabagh dam is constructed, land was acquired for Bhasha dam during our tenure for Rs 70 billion but the Nawaz government has not put even one brick till now. "Kacchi Canal project was started during our tenure at a cost of Rs 30 billion and 50 percent work had been completed by 2008 but due to the present rulers' inefficiency the project cost has raised to Rs 80 billion," he pointed out.