HYDERABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood has said that all “big names” (electables) and all those forces which wanted to get rid of “looters” in Sindh are in touch with the PML-N.

He stated this while addressing party workers and later answering questions of reporters at the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) here on Friday. PML-N Sindh leader Shah Moham­mad Shah and others were also present.

He said the meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) was twice held where Sindh was invited and briefed about water shortage scenario.

He blamed India for blocking the waters of Pakistan.

He said there was water scarcity in the Indus River system, adding that media was free to show and prove it. The PML-N government had been involved in other trivial issues, otherwise it would have expressed its view more clearly, he said.

Answering a question, he said elections would be held on time as they could not be delayed on any ground and would be held on July 31.

He lauded the commitment of Shirazis of Thatta who remained part of the PML-N despite injustices of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government. It was their loyalty that inspired others and many were joining the PML-N, he added.

He said that though Nawaz Sharif’s statement on Mumbai attacks was reported out of context, even then Mr Sharif called for formation of a national commission considering the fact that similar statements were given by former spy chief Shuja Pasha, Imran Khan, Rehman Malik, Yousuf Raza Gilani and Asif Zardari.

He claimed that the federal government released funds for the Indus highway and it was incompetence of the Sindh government that it failed to utilise the money.

He said that more projects were announced for Sindh and after the 2018 elections, the PML-N would serve Sindh more by coming up with development works to redress its grievances.

He claimed that in the next few days, several “big names” (electables) would be joining the PML-N, but his party still depended on the support of the people of Sindh.

About loadshedding, he said Wapda had worked out a formula for loadshedding across Pakistan according to which power outages were given effect in the areas hit by massive power theft.

He said the Sindh government topped the list of “power thieves”.

He said the PML-N government was initially trapped in dharnas and lockdowns while political orphans kept giving different dates for the ouster of the PML-N government. But the government completed its term.

He said the PML-N would field candidates in every constituency of Sindh because people were fully aware of political situation there.

He said the people of Sindh appreciated the performance of Shahbaz Sharif and he would serve Sindh more than Punjab if elected to power. He said the slogan of “vote ko izzat do” would echo in Pakistan.

He said PML-N’s programme in Benazirabad on May 28 (Yaum-i-Takbeer) would open eyes of everyone. He said the party would hold public meetings in every district of Sindh.

He said the opponents should honour the Constitution and law while opposing the PML-N. He said Nawaz Sharif had made Pakistan a nuclear state, but still he was being branded as traitor.

He said the 2018 elections would be the year of Shahbaz Sharif as prime minister.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2018