Shehbaz vows to bring Peshawar at par with Lahore given a chance in elections

PESHAWAR: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is given a chance he will bring Peshawar at par with Lahore. 

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, while addressing a workers convention in Peshawar, promised to complete the Bus Rapid Transit project in five months time.

“Peshawar is my home, the people of this city have always been a great host,” the PML-N President said. "If the Almighty gives me an opportunity, I will give Peshawar a metro train project in 2018."

Shehbaz claimed that the Peshawar's metro bus project is being constructed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's provincial government in Rs71 billion, whereas the Lahore's bus project was completed in Rs30 billion.

"Where are the rest of Rs40 bilion, Imran Khan," Punjab CM questioned. "If PML-N is given chance we will complete the rapid bus project in five months."

Shehbaz said that the PTI chief doesn't appear before the courts on the defamation cases hearings.

This was Shehbaz's first visit to Peshawar after taking the presidency of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. The PML-N leader claimed that there is not a single big hospital in the KP's capital city.

Shehbaz took a jibe at the PTI Chairman Imran Khan by calling him a man who just offers, 'tall claims' to the people'.  "Imran Niazi made claims, we fulfiled our promises," he said. 

The Punjab chief minister called the Billion Tree Tsunami project of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government 'a big fraud'. 

Senior provincial party leaders, including Amir Muqam and Murtaza Javed Abbasi were present at the event held on Shami Road. 

Earlier, in a tweet, Shehbaz took a jab at the PTI's ‘snail-paced’ bus rapid transit (BRT) project before beginning his journey.  

CM Punjab remarked that he will also ‘try’ to look at the ‘snail-paced BRT project' to assess "in how much time, after winning next elections IA, we’ll be able to complete the project.”

Shehbaz is expected to hold meetings with governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and party leaders during his one-day trip to the city.