Ask person sitting in jail what he did for KP: Nawaz

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) President Nawaz Sharif, while pointing to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder chairman Imran Khan, has asked that if the person in jail wanted to start a fight between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab with the politics of anarchy. “Do you want to create a conflict between the people of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?”

Addressing the ceremony of ‘Apni Chhat Apna Ghar’ held at the Expo Center on Wednesday, Nawaz said that they (PTI) have made big promises with the KP people but their performance was zero and they protested whenever they got an opportunity. “The people who follow like sheep should ask the person sitting in jail what he has done for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

He further said that they were number one in killings and zero in efficiency. They came to Punjab from KP with tear gas shells. He said in his view, such elements should be dealt with strictly.

“Have we built these motorways for protest? He [Imran] used to say that he will put a rope around our neck and put us in jail. Don’t speak such big words, learn humility, you will sow what you reap,” the PMLN chief added. Nawaz said he still had the audio of former chief justice Saqib Nisar in which he talked about removing him (Nawaz Sharif) and bringing Imran Khan into power.

About ‘Apni Chhat Apna Ghar’, Nawaz said PMLN believed in spending people’s money on people and this scheme was the best example of interest-free loan. The three-time former prime minister said the PMLN had bidden farewell to the International Monetary Fund but others brought it back again. Without naming Imran, he said the people should ask the person sitting in jail what had he done for them?

Nawaz said people from KP came to Punjab for treatment and we hug them but the KP government was not interested in improving the province. He asked where were the billion tree plan, the housing project and 350 dams? “If the PMLN had been allowed to work in the country, there would have been no one homeless today; today a large part of the country’s population is deprived of homes, even if one needs to build a room, one is worried about where the money would come from. Many such schemes were started during my tenure. We were not allowed to complete any of our tenures,” Nawaz maintained. He further said that five judges fired the prime minister of 250 million (people) for not taking salary from his son. “Was a judge ever asked how did you expel the elected prime minister?”

The former premier also expressed disappointment with his supporters and voters, stating that they had never raised their voice against his ouster from power in 2017. He added that proud and dignified nations always raise their voices against any injustice.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz warned that she will not tolerate any armed infiltration from KP into Punjab. Addressing the cheque distribution ceremony of “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme, she said the KP people were their brothers and they were welcome to come to Punjab for medical treatment, business, education and other activities, but those who were dreaming to conquer Punjab will be treated strictly.

The Punjab chief minister said: “Equal loans are being given in all districts under “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” programme. The programme was launched a few days ago, and we are giving loans on it today. Five lakh applications were submitted under the programme, and we decided to give loans to five lakh people. Five lakh houses will be built in the next five years.”

Maryam said that she didn’t want to answer the abusive language as she had no time for that. “Allah Almighty has assigned me to serve, not indulging into abusive language. The anarchists gave so many protest calls, somewhere two people and somewhere only seven people came. Only 2,000 people from all over Punjab gathered in Lahore. People from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were arrested and brought to the rallies. Does any civilised nation behave in such a manner? You want to indulge into confrontation with another province. We are all Pakistanis and will not allow to happen all this chaos and unrest. One who is locked up in Adiala jail makes calls from the jail to attack some place, abuse someone, or hold a public rally. Have you ever heard that a person in jail said to provide free medicines to people or build a house. Politics can be allowed but political confrontation and terrorism cannot be allowed. I never heard that he said to issue health card, Kisan card and always heard to vandalise some place or torch public property.”

She said: “We launched the children’s heart surgery programme, and Alhamdulillah, 200 children underwent operation in a few days, including children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Punjab has a big heart and we are residents of one country. They can come for treatment, employment, education as our doors are always open, but setting public properties on fire is not acceptable. They have found out that the Punjab government is running smoothly and now they will not find a place to hide their faces. A person detained in jail has only trained his followers how to spread sedition and mischief. The person sitting in a jail has only given this training not to let Pakistan move forward. People are giving a positive response to the development projects being launched by the Punjab government. Burning public properties, vandalising and riot is coming to an end.”

Meanwhile, the Punjab chief minister directed to achieve Universal School Enrolment Target in all union councils. “Corrupt elements will not be tolerated in education department,” she said chairing a review meeting on education sector reforms in the province. “Steps are being taken to improve the quality of matriculation education.”

Meanwhile, in view of the constitutional amendment, Nawaz Sharif has postponed his visit of London. PMLN sources said Nawaz was scheduled to go to London this week, but now the former prime minister would go to London and the US after the constitutional amendment issue was resolved.

The sources further said that the constitutional amendment was likely to be brought this week or early second week of October and the decision of the Supreme Court was being awaited in this regard.