LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif says Pakistan is passing through the most critical phase of its history as it faces the energy crisis, poverty, unemployment, extremism and other challenges.

He was talking to a delegation of assembly members and PML-N workers from various districts here, according to a handout on Sunday.

Underlining national unity at this stage, Shahbaz urged all the political parties and their leaders to play their role to steer the country out of problems. He said the country could not afford politics of sit-ins, protests and chaos and those engaged in such activities had hurdled national development for their selfish interests. He said those holding sit-ins had undermined the serious efforts for taking the country out of darkness and they would never be forgiven by history.

The chief minister said the PML-N government, led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, would continue its efforts for the progress and prosperity of the country and the day was not far when Pakistan would overcome all its problems and become a welfare state in the real sense.

He said that due to economic policies of the government, Pakistani currency had stabilised and the economic indicators had also improved but the politics of sit-ins and sabotage had caused an irreparable to the national economy. He said that due to sit-ins, important visits of president of China and other foreign delegations had been postponed, adding that agreements for investment of billions of dollars were to be signed while foundation stone of several power projects was to be laid during the visit of the Chinese president.

Mr Shahbaz said the real faces of such elements as hatched the conspiracy to create hurdles to progress and prosperity had been exposed and they should know that nothing could hamper the national development.

The PML-N had been given a mandate for five years which would be honoured and the process of public service would continue, adding that untimely sit-ins and so-called revolution had met their death.

The chief minister said the PML-N government was serving the people of Punjab selflessly for the last six and a half years and new records of public service would be set in future. Mega projects worth billions of rupees had been executed in the province speedily and in a transparent manner and a large number of people were benefitting from Ashiana scheme, Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, provision of free medicines, mobile health units, metro bus service and Daanish school system. He said the process of speedy completion of public welfare projects would continue in the future as well.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014