PML-N Only Political Party To Give Respect To Vote Through Its Performance: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2018 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb Thursday said Pakistan Muslim League (N) demonstrated through its performance in five years that it was the only political party which gave respect to the vote and voters.

Addressing a press conference here, she said respect to vote was key part of manifesto of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was of the firm view that the government elected by the people should complete its constitutional tenure.

She said people of Pakistan should cast their vote in the elections of 2018 on the basis of performance of governments.

The minister said despite all the challenges, sit-ins, lock downs and false allegations, Pakistan Muslim League (N) under leadership of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif completed those projects which were not possible in the last sixty six years.

She said in 2013, Pakistan was economically bankrupt, plunged in darkness and encircled with terrorism, while in 2018, under the stewardship of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League (N) was leaving a secure and rising Pakistan.

The government completed billions of rupees of projects but not a single penny of corruption or scandal surfaced, she said, adding the government not only overcame the energy crisis but also started projects to meet energy requirements for the next 20 years.

The minister said sacrifices of armed forces, law enforcement agencies and people brought peace to every part of the country, restored lights of Karachi and returned normalcy in Balochistan. Under the Prime Minister's Education Reform Programme, the schools of Federal capital were upgraded, curriculum and facilities were also improved. The largest healthcare programme of Pakistan was continuing successfully for the benefit of needy patients and the provinces also replicated it.

She said PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and PPP in Sindh disappointed people. Unfortunately, both provinces did nothing in sectors of health, education, solid waste management and infrastructure development. The Sindh government even failed to remove garbage from Karachi.

PTI could not fulfill its promises to dispense justice, conduct impartial accountability and produce electricity for supply to whole of Pakistan. The Ehtesab Commission of KP was locked and craters because of metro bus were made destiny of people of Peshawar. The politics of allegations, chaos and abuses which ended in the decade of 90s was again made part of PTI manifesto and Imran Khan did this kind of politics for the last five years, she continued.

She said Imran Khan was desirous of the office of prime minister but the office had its own requirements and decorum. The country could not be run with u turns or on social media, she said adding desire for power was not enough but right intentions were sine qua non to run the affairs of the state.

The minister said progress of Pakistan and its people was inherent in a strong democracy, adding democracy was a constitutional requirement and without it Pakistan was incomplete.

Marriyum said the elected government of the people of Pakistan was completing its five year constitutional term and democracy was continuing without break for the last ten years.

She said democracy was derailed in the past, martial laws were imposed as dictators forced their will on the people, constitution was put in the dust bin and few persons decided fate of the masses. However, after each period of dictatorship, democracy came back with more force.

She urged people to compare development projects carried out during the periods of dictatorships and democratic tenures. Sixty five percent of the total population comprises youth and the young generation should also distinguish between periods of democracy and dictatorship.

She said people gave mandate to Nawaz Sharif and made him prime minister and his government made progress in every sector and performance of his government was before the people to judge.

In 2013, the country was facing worst energy crisis and people endured loadshedding of 16-17 hours daily. Today due to unrelenting efforts of the government, 11000 megawatts were added to the system and laodshedding was only on those feeders where electricity was stolen, she added.

She told that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had given suggestion during meeting of Council of Common Interest that provinces should start managing the production and supply of electricity.

She said the way Ishaq Dar under the leadership of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif revived economy of the country was unprecedented. The growth in these five years was more than the growth in the last 15 years.

The minister opined that CPEC would bring prosperity to not only Pakistan but the whole region. The project was a gift from Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for the people of Pakistan and it will create immense opportunities in energy and infrastructure sector.

She said in 2013, terrorism was at its peak and around 2600 incidents of terrorism occurred annually and parents felt concerned about safety of their children when they sent them to schools. As envisioned by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, armed forces of Pakistan and security personnel in cooperation with provincial governments checked the menace of terrorism in its track. Even now Operation Zarb e Azb and Ruud ul Fasaad were going on and had a positive effect on the law and order situation.

The minister said the government took numerous vital steps for development of infrastructure, built 1700 kilometers of motorways extending to Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and provinces and completed pending projects like Lowari tunnel.

She said the Punjab government headed by Shehbaz Sharif launched metro bus projects in Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Orange Line train at Lahore and Green Line bus project, constructed farm to market roads, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities.

The United Nations and other international institutions in their reports appreciated the development work of federal and Punjab governments in sectors of education and health, she added.

She said Railways and Steel Mills were in similar condition in 2013 but Khawaja Saad Rafique worked day and night and improved performance of Railways, reduced its deficit by 50 percent and ensured timely arrival and departure of trains. Anusha Rehman put information technology sector on the road to progress and 3g and 4g services were introduced. Saira Afzal Tarar brought transparency in the health sector and strengthened programmes against diseases of cancer, polio and other deadly ailments.

Marriyum said 8th Wage board Award was constituted, which was the basic right of journalists. Right of Access to Information law was passed and an Information Commission was being made. First Film and Culture policy was launched as terrorism, extremism and intolerance could be tackled with promotion of culture, civilization and heritage, she added.

She said the oversight of opposition improved functioning of a government but if the opposition was ill intentioned then it was harmful for democracy.

She was sanguine that Imran Khan would ponder about what he did to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

She appealed to the people to cast their vote in the election of 2018 as those who will stay away from polls will not be doing justice to their country.

Marriyum was confident that democratic system will remain stable so that every young person can hold his head high and feel pride as a citizen of rising and progressing Pakistan.

She said no external power can stop the election of Pakistan if all relevant institutions play their role, adding people were ready to cast their vote and elect the government for the next five years.