LAHORE, June 30: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif sees no difference between terrorism and drone attacks as “both are annihilating innocent citizens”.

Speaking at the launch of e-Bar programme interlinking all bars in the province through internet here on Saturday, he said there was no difference between terrorism and drone attacks.

He demanded that the nation must be told as to how many terrorists had been killed as a result of drone attacks. The war on terror, he deplored, claimed lives of 35,000 Pakistanis and damaged the national economy irreparably. He said “as long as we don’t give up the habit of getting charity of ‘Aghyar’ and break the begging bowl, the drone attacks would continue.”

Talking about the current energy crisis, the chief minister noted that loadshedding had brought the country to the brink of financial ruination and was a threat bigger than terrorism.

He said the country was living in darkness from Peshawar to Karachi. He said had the amount plundered in the name of rental electricity projects been spent on genuine projects, the country would not have faced current energy crisis. He said, even today, if all the plundered money of the nation was returned and all the loans, waived on a political basis, deposited back with the national exchequer, Pakistan’s destiny could be transformed from darkness to light.

Announcing a grant of Rs200 million for all Bar associations, the chief minister said wherever there would be government land available, the legal fraternity would be provided land for their residential colony. Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said bars were essential pillars of democracy and had played an important role in restoration of democracy and promotion of democratic traditions. He noted that in the age of information technology it’s highly essential to interlink the bars through internet and announced that it’s been decided to provide computers, printers and scanners to all Bar Associations in a sufficient quantity for which an amount of Rs35 million would be spent this year. — Staff Reporter