MUZAFFARABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday lashed out at his opponents for disrupting the progress and development of Pakistan and claimed that his party would again clinch victory in next year’s general elections on the basis of its performance.

Without naming any party, he made obvious references to the Pakistan Peoples Party over the failure of the previous government to undertake power generation projects and to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf over its sit-ins which, he said, had delayed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

“When we came to power, the country was facing the worst-ever energy crisis, with loadshedding at its peak… Many projects, including this one, had been declared sick,” he said at a ceremony held to mark the completion of 68km tunnel system of 969-megawatt Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project (NJHP) near here.

“You are well aware that who is responsible for electricity shortfall. They come on TV and spew hatred every day. In fact, those blaming us for loadshedding are the ones who created this problem,” the prime minister said.

He said that no country could make progress without electricity and that was why he had laid emphasis on power generation projects. “By next year, 10,000 megawatts will be added to the national grid,” Mr Sharif added.

Sharif claims PML-N will clinch victory in next year’s general elections on the basis of its performance

He said that hurling “abuses and lies” had become the habit of his opponents. “People with foul mouth may carry on with the practice, but at least they should not obstruct and affect developmental activities.”

The prime minister said that his government was toiling at development projects and the NJHP was proof of that.

“If we were not doing our job, these projects could not have been completed even in the next 20 years,” he said.

Mr Sharif said that he had set a new tradition in the country by respecting the mandate of other political parties, but unfortunately the gesture was not reciprocated.

“Dharnas (sit-ins) are staged day in day out, consequently hampering the journey towards progress,” he said, adding that the CPEC project was delayed for eight months for the very reason.

Nevertheless, he asserted, there was a visible difference between Pakistan of 2012 and that of today, which the nation could realise itself.

He said that terrorism was at the highest level before he assumed power but now backbone of terrorists had been broken.

“Today Pakistan is progressing rapidly and the world is reposing trust in us… We are going to become an economic power,” Mr Sharif said. In this regard, he cited an increase in the GDP growth rate and performance of the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

“The growth rate has risen from three to five per cent and will reach 7pc by the end of my government’s term. Similarly, we are ranked as the fifth best performing stock market,” he said.

He asked the “accusers” to open their eyes to see for themselves the development projects being initiated and executed in the country from Kashmir to Sindh.

“Do not keep your eyes closed like a pigeon. If you keep on doing this, then the tiger will eat this pigeon in the coming elections,” Mr Sharif said, alluding to his party’s election symbol.

He said that the entire country had been interlinked through a network of highways under the CPEC, adding that work on Muzaffarabad-Mirpur-Mansehra motorway would begin soon, ushering in an era of progress in the area.

He claimed that not a single scandal of corruption had emerged during his rule unlike the past “when media brought forth one scandal after the other”.

Earlier, the prime minister was informed that 92 per cent construction work of the NJHP had been completed, involving excavation of tunnels in one of the hardest terrains.

He was told that the first unit of the project would be commissioned by Feb 2018, the second in mid-March and the third and the fourth in April next year.

Published in Dawn, May 06th, 2017