Imran says he is principled yet benefitted during Senate election: Shehbaz

MARDAN: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif criticised Imran Khan on Saturday saying that the PTI chairman called himself a principled man, yet he benefitted during Senate election.

Addressing a rally here, the PML-N president lambasted that the entire Peshawar city had been dug out on the pretext of Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit project, noting that Imran Khan used to call it 'jangla bus [project].'

"I felt extremely sorry over Peshawar's destruction," he said, adding that the opponents did nothing except for staging sit-ins.

Shehbaz said that his party would defeat both Imran Khan and Asif Ali Zardari through the vote in 2018.

He noted that the forensic test in Asma murder case was conducted at a Lahore lab.

"Thousands of megawatts of electricity could be produced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but Imran gave minus-6MW during the five years," the PML-N president said.

"They distributed lands among friends in Malam Jabba. There was no development anywhere and money got into pockets," he told the participants.

"Imran says who make record by planting a billion trees, but he spoke record lies day and night."

Shehbaz further said that Pakhtuns were a principled, courageous and brave nation. 

He added that if they voted the PML-N into power, then his party would turn KP into Punjab and Peshawar into Lahore.

Khattak accuses centre of creating hurdles

Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said their "5 years were heavier than Shehbaz Sharif's 30 years [of rule] in Punjab."

Speaking to media in Lahore, he said that Shehbaz should put aside his bias and he would see a change [in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa].

Khattak accused the federal government of creating hurdles in promotion of industry and investment. "Impediments are created in the way of issuing NOC to foreign investors."

In response to Shehbaz's comment on Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit project, he said the project had been initiated for there had been need for it, adding, "In Punjab, major projects are initiated for corruption and making money.

"The [KP] government received a broken-down province, but a journey for change was initiated through viable planning," the chief minister said.