LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that a handful of opponents of public welfare projects are enemy of development of the country.

Talking to a delegation of PML-N workers here on Sunday, he said that a few people were opposing welfare projects of the Punjab government and termed them enemies of development.

He, however, vowed that the projects of development and prosperity of the people would continue.

He alleged that like other sectors, former rulers of Punjab during dictatorial era committed loot and plunder in the name of education through the Parha Likha Punjab programme as nepotism and corruption was promoted and merit was violated through the project.

He said that besides looting national resources, loans of billions of rupees were also got written off on political grounds during the dictatorial era.

The chief minister said that his government “converted graveyards of corruption of former rulers into minarets of development” whereas former rulers, instead of paying attention to the completion of development projects, filled their own pockets.

He said that the nation through its power of vote conducted a strict accountability of those who looted the hard-earned money of the poor nation in the name of development projects in general elections of 2013 and local bodies’ elections.

He said the incumbent government was marching forward for promotion of education under “Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab” and the target of provision of quality education has to be achieved at all costs.

Shahbaz said that the work of construction and rehabilitation of dilapidated buildings of schools is being carried out on a priority basis.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2016