Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday said whether it's NAB or any other institution, justice and accountability should be held across-the-board and if it's not done so, the same may not be termed as justice or accountability. Talking to the media men after the inauguration of surgical tower at Mayo Hospital, here on Friday, Shehbaz said that rule of law should be accepted by all and sundry because supremacy of the Constitution and law are portrayal of civilized societies. "We have saved Rs 70 billion in orange line metro train project. It is the prerogative of the NAB to dig out corruption but it should also speak up about this nation's billions of rupees saved by us. NAB may not certify us but it should pay tributes to the people of Punjab who have chosen such a government that has broken the 70 years deadlock and conducted G2G tendering," he added.
Replying to a question, he said the company gave the minimum bid of 2.1 billion dollars in orange line metro train project and according to PPRA rules, it should have had been assigned the task but we negotiated with them and cost of the project was further minimized from 2.1 billion dollars to 1.47 billion dollars. This way, 70 billion rupees were saved, he added. There is no example of such a huge saving by anybody in the national history, he added.
To another question, Shehbaz said Imran Niazi leveled allegation against me with regard to Chinese company Yabaite in Multan metro bus project. "I request the Chairman NAB to tell the reality of this claim to the nation. If I am accused then I should be barred from the elections. If I am not a criminal then the one who leveled allegation should have to be held accountable," he added.
About the surgical tower, he said "this tower contains 16 operation theatres along with a 100-bedded burn unit where patients will be examined through the most modern machine. Similarly, CT scan, MRI and ultrasound machines are installed in investigative department. I visited this tower few months ago and today, it has been formally inaugurated," he added. A new world of facilities is provided and this can be compared with Aga Khan Hospital.
Replying to different questions of the media persons, he said that this latest hospital has been established by the Punjab government with its own resources. He said Imran Niazi made tall claims about improving healthcare facilities in KPK but practically done nothing.