Nawaz focusing on tackling terror, energy crisis: Irfan Siddiqui From Our Correspondent FAISALABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is attaching great importance to elimination of terrorism, overcoming energy crisis and returning the mounting foreign debt, which are the three major problems of the country, said Irfan Siddiqui, special assistant to the PM on national affairs. Talking to media, Siddiqui said owing to the government’s policies, targeted killings in Karachi had almost been eliminated while the Operation Zarb-e-Azb had resulted in curbing the activities of terrorists in North Waziristan and other tribal areas, adding that the terrorists had almost been wiped out by the brave soldiers from the region. Regarding the energy crisis, he said Pakistan had signed a number of agreements with the Chinese government for installation of power plants in different parts of the country which would help in overcoming the electricity shortage by 2018. The PML-N, he said, had inherited these problems as the previous government did not take steps for power generation, elimination of terrorism and returning foreign debt. However, the present government took concrete steps for power generation that had already reduced power outages considerably, he added. Siddiqui said industrial units had been exempted from loadshedding after improvement in power supply - a move that would boost industrial production and generate ample job opportunities. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said, would usher a new era of prosperity in Pakistan with the Central Asian countries also among the beneficiaries, as it would boost trade in the region. He said during the short span of two-and-a-half years, the Nawaz government tried to pull the country out of the grave crises by tackling the burning Balochistan issue, elimination of targeted killings in Karachi, addressing the grievances of MQM, launching of most successful operation in Waziristan, taking a number to steps for improving economy and substantial increase in foreign earnings. Siddiqui said the PML-N won the majority seats in local government polls, while the PTI stood second and the PPP found nowhere in Islamabad and Punjab. He said instead of crying over so-called rigging, Imran Khan should fully devote his attention towards reorganising his party. The PTI chairman wasted precious time by staging a sit-in and resorting to other unethical practices which had undermined his image, he added. The special assistant to the PM said the religio-political parties had a very poor show in the local government polls and they should look into the causes of their defeat. He added that the PML-N had no objection, if the Election Commission decided to probe into alleged rigging in the Islamabad LG polls as demanded by Imran Khan. Siddiqui said the voters had supported the nominees of PML-N because they were of the firm conviction that it was the only party which could deliver.
