MIRPURKHAS: Punjab Chief Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday vowed to initiate large-scale development projects in Sindh if his party was voted to power in the coming general elections in the country.

He was addressing a public meeting in Khan Sahab Din Muhammad village near Sindhri where he also visited the grave of former prime minister Muhammad Khan Junejo. He laid a floral wreath at the grave and offered Fateha.

Counting his provincial government’s development activities in Lahore and other parts of Punjab, Mr Sharif said he would initiate similar activities in Sindh.

He severely criticised the performance of Pakistan Peoples Party’s government in Sindh and particularly targeted PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. He said the people of Sindh were deprived of basic necessities of life.

The Punjab CM said the poor performance of the PPP government had left the agriculture sector in Sindh devastated and had a negative impact on business activities in the province.

Claims Nawaz Sharif is still country’s most popular leader

He claimed that the Punjab government provided fertiliser to farmers on cheap rate and introduced a number of programmes, including interest-free loans, for them in the province. He said his government had provided a reasonable price of sugarcane to farmers.

In contrast, he said, the Sindh government had not provided any relief to farmers in the province. Farmers were not given a reasonable price of sugarcane in the province, he added.

Mr Sharif claimed that fertiliser was being sold in the black market in Sindh.

He accused Mr Zardari of looting the resources of Sindh.

The PML-N president claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was still the most popular leader of the country. He said cases against all leaders of his party were fabricated and they would prove to be false in courts.

He criticised the Indian government for its troops’ atrocities in held Kashmir.

He warned that India would have to pay a heavy price if it attacked Pakistan.

On his arrival, Shahbaz Sharif was presented an ajrak, a traditional shawl, and a Sindhi cap by PML-N Senator Asad Ali Khan Junejo.

PML-N president in Sindh Shah Muhammad Shah said he was thankful for Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif for giving importance to Sindh.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2018