LALAMUSA: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Friday said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government had always taken decisions in the best national interest and had never compromised on the country’s sovereignty.

Addressing participants of a function held to inaugurate gas supply to Islam Pura, he said the present government, despite international pressures, has inked an agreement on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project to fulfil needs of the country.

“We have not accepted pressure of any country on the issue and inked the agreement with Iran to fulfil our energy needs.” Pakistan would also import electricity from Iran, he added.

The minister regretted that in the past many governments had talked about the Iran gas pipeline but did not materialise the project due to international pressures.

Kaira said that the government has also handed over Gwadar port to China as the neighbour country is a time-tested friend and has always stood by Pakistan in difficult times.

He expressed the hope that Gwadar sea port would play an important role in the socio-economic development of the country especially Balochistan.

The minister added that the port would not only help in developing Pakistan but also contribute in the development of Afghanistan and Iran in the region.

Strongly criticising Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the information minister said the chief minister was claiming to end loadshedding within two months but despite having government on 62 per cent of the country, not a single unit of electricity had been generated by his government in the province.

Kaira said that the PPP would win majority seats in southern Punjab due to steps taken by the government for welfare of the people across the country.

He regretted that entire Punjab budget had been spent on developing Lahore, ignoring others towns of the province.