Responded to PTI’s allegations by working day and night: Shehbaz

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday highlighted the development work carried out across Punjab during the past five years and hit out at the opposing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for levelling “nothing but allegations” at the provincial government throughout its tenure.

“We tolerated PTI’s allegations day and night, but responded by working [hard]. The past five years showed the nation [who is right and who is wrong],” he said, while addressing a press conference earlier today.

Shedding light on the progress made in human development areas in Punjab, Shehbaz said the province took the lead in instituting a culture of efficiency, transparency and savings in the execution of public development projects.

“The electorate will deliver their verdict on who did what while in government,” he said, as he questioned what the PTI had managed to do in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Punjab transformed the public transport infrastructure,” he said, citing examples of three Metro bus systems, the upcoming Orange Line Metro Train Project & Speedo buses.

“Look at how PTI dug out the whole Peshawar city for the BRT project,” the former chief minister remarked.

Discussing the power situation in the country, Shehbaz pointed out that Punjab set up power projects out of its own resources in addition to overseeing CPEC and federal power projects that were completed “in record time”.

The electricity generated from these projects has been added to the national grid, he added.

It is PML-N that completed land acquisition for Diamir Basha Dam with Rs100 billion,” he pointed out, vowing that the party will continue to invest its passion and energy into building dams and water reservoirs.

“But what did PTI do for construction of any hydropower project in KP?” he questioned.

On education reforms, Shehbaz noted that under the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, scholarships worth Rs17 billion have been distributed among 350,000 underprivileged on merit. He said that the province brought 90,000 children working at the brick-kilns to schools by offering their families financial incentives.

Punjab has set up 19 universities and 200 new colleges during the tenure, he added.

Lauding the leadership of party quaid Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz said that the federal government under the former prime minister brought about marked improvements in areas of counter-terrorism, energy and economy.

Pakistan armed forces and other law enforcement agencies rendered countless sacrifices to reduce terrorism to its lowest point, he noted.

In the health sector, Shehbaz pointed out that Punjab established state-of-the-art Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre. Two kidney transplants have been carried out successfully, while free medical treatment to kidney and liver patients will save them from travelling to India for transplant, he said.