LAHORE: PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif has called for the across-the-board accountability whether it is carried out by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or any other investigation agency.

“Justice and accountability should be held across the board. And if it’s not done so it may not be called justice or accountability,” he said while talking to the media after opening of Surgical Tower at Mayo Hospital on Friday.

“The rule of the law should be accepted by all and sundry because supremacy of the Constitution and the law are traits of civilised societies,” he added.

Asks NAB, others to go for across-the-board accountability

Talking about austerity measures of the PML-N government in development projects, Shahbaz claimed his government had saved Rs70bn just in Orange Line Metro Train project.

Seeking appreciation from NAB for these saving measures, he said NAB could dig out corruption but “it should also speak up about the nation’s billions of rupees saved by us. NAB may not certify us but it should pay tributes to the people of Punjab who have chosen such a government that has broken the 70 years deadlock and conducted G2G (government-to-government) tendering in some projects.”

Answering a question, the CM said the company gave the minimum bid of $2.1bn for the Orange Line metro train project and according to the Public Procurement regularity Authority (PPRA) rules, the firm should have been assigned with the task. “But we negotiated with them and got the project cost reduced to $1.47bn and saved Rs70bn. There is no example of such a huge saving by anybody in the national history.”

Shahbaz chided Imran Khan, saying Imran Niazi had made tall claims about improving healthcare facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) but practically did nothing.

“He has ruined the KP. While no new hospital is built there, the two hospitals working for the last two decades have not been upgraded. Whereas we have made a wonderful hospital in Swat after floods and modern hospitals have also been established in Punjab having all the latest medical facilities.”

The CM said Imran Niazi had leveled allegations against him with regard to Chinese company, Yabaite, in Multan Metro Bus project. The NAB chairman was requested to tell the reality of this claim to the nation.

“If I am accused then I should be barred from the election. If I am not then the one who leveled the allegations should have to be held accountable,” he demanded.

About the Surgical Tower at Mayo Hospital, Shahbaz said the health facility comprised 16 operating theaters along with a 100-bed burn unit where patients would be examined through the latest machines. Similarly, CT scan, MRI and ultrasound machines had also been installed in the examination department.

“A new world of facilities has been provided and this can be compared with Aga Khan Hospital (Karachi). However, a hospital of such standards is not available in the public sector.”

The CM said had the Sindh and KP governments instituted such a hospital a healthy competition could have been launched during the election campaign.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2018