NANDIPUR:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has come down hard on certain opposition
parties for making attempts to sabotage his government’s ‘progressive’
agenda.
After inaugurating the 95-MW thermal power
plant at Nandipur on Saturday, the prime minister took his detractors
on, saying that the protest-mongers were working on an agenda to destroy
the country.
“Why are these parties protesting at this
point in time when the government has launched a solid progressive
agenda for the betterment of the country? I fail to understand their
objectives,” he added.
Nawaz was concerned about what he
believed was a futile exercise being conducted from Canada, London and
back home. “For God’s sake let this country progress. Haven’t you done
enough damage to Pakistan in the last 67 years?
“Are these
protests against the government’s programmes for bringing prosperity in
the country? We are working hard to come up to the trust of the people,
who have given us the mandate, and are endeavouring hard to put
Pakistan on the right track,” he added.
Instead of
lending a helping hand to the government at this crucial juncture, the
opposition had preferred banking on the politics of agitation. They
should see how sincerely the present government is working day in and
day out for the betterment of the country, he said.
“They
should not create hurdles in our progressive agenda. The initiative that
the government has taken in Karachi is an attempt to bring about peace
in the economic hub of Pakistan.
“It’s a move to end the
reign of terror, where kidnapping-for-ransom and extortion is rampant.
This operation has been launched to end all these evils, and the move
has already started paying dividends,” the prime minister added.
Nawaz
said the federal government had launched development projects in the
provinces where the PML-N was not in power. “Let the opposition raise a
hue and cry but it will not deter my resolve to fulfil the government’s
objective of bringing prosperity to every nook and cranny of the country
- from Khyber to Karachi and from Khunjerab to Gwadar,” Nawaz added.
The
premier specifically recounted his government’s initiatives in the
power, agriculture, communications, industrial and general welfare
sectors. He said the government had launched numerous projects for
reaping long-term benefits in all areas. Some of them have already been
launched or are being initiated, including the Kashghar-Khunjerab
Pass-Islamabad Highway, Lahore-Karachi Motorway (Rs55 billion already
allocated), construction of a state-of-the-art airport and seaport at
Gwadar, laying of rail-track from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad, initiating
the Diamer-Bhasha (for which the government has launched a land purchase
drive and allocated Rs40 billion) and Dasu dams (with the capacity to
generate 4,500-MW each), completing the Neelam-Jhelum project, launching
of coal and thermal power-plant projects at various sites all over
Pakistan, introducing the Youth Employment Scheme etc. Nawaz also
mounted a challenge to the opposition to identify just one area where
his government had faltered so far.
“The government has made headway in putting a lid on corruption, and is trying to strengthen the democratic institutions.
“We
have fulfilled the promise of introducing the concept of good
governance. My aim is to bring about prosperity in all parts of the
country, even those areas where the PML-N had not got the mandate during
last year’s general elections or where it was not in power.
“What is bothering the opposition? The people of Pakistan need to know the reason for their agitatation,” he said.
About
the government’s priority area, the power sector, the prime minister
said the total power-production capacity of the country stood at
23,000-MW. However, he added, in view of the shutting down of several
power plants, that figure had gone down considerably. He said the
government managed to push up the production to 16,000-MW last year
during the summer with ample water availability. This time round, he
hoped, it could be further enhanced. He vowed to equip the country with
more power plants in the next six to eight years, adding another
21,000-MW to the system.
“China has been of great help in
this regard. The Chinese leadership has been very supportive in
resolving the power crisis in Pakistan. China has helped us set up these
plants in Karachi, Gadani, Sahiwal, Faisalabad and also helped us in
hydel power generation,” Nawaz added. He thanked China for its massive
support for bailing Pakistan out of the situation.
Nawaz
further said the government had already worked on plans for bringing a
marked change in all sectors. He said the government would come to the
rescue of agriculturists by furnishing fresh incentives apart from the
relief they would get in the form of ample water resources once the two
big dams became operational. He said the government had also focused on
the industrial sector, healthcare facilities and the education sector.
All these projects, he believed, would change the fate of the nation.
The
prime minister announced the Tamgha-e-Jurrat (medal for valour) for the
director project, Nandipur Power Plant, Captain Mehmood. He thanked the
entire team involved in establishing the plant in just seven months
despite hindrances like wear and tear of the machinery because of the
three-year delay in the project as the previous the PPP government had
held the machinery back at the port all this time for political reasons.
He announced three-months bonus for all workers and senior staff at the
project on behalf of the federal government in addition to the already
announced similar reward by the Punjab government. Nawaz also
appreciated Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s untiring efforts in
controlling the damage done because of the delay. He lauded the Punjab
government’s security arrangements, besides its initiatives for the
provision of other facilities to the staff, especially the Chinese
workforce engaged there.
In his address, Shahbaz Sharif
termed the generation of electricity in a record period of seven months
from the first turbine of the Nandipur Power Plant a success story of
commitment and determination.
He disclosed that the
project could have been completed three years ago if the previous
government had not created hurdles for the previous Punjab government.
The country would not have faced an economic loss of Rs165 billion and
an additional amount of Rs30 billion would not have to have been spent
for reviving the dead project.
While strongly criticising,
what he termed the criminal negligence on the part of former rulers
vis-a-vis the Nandipur Power Project, he said it was just one of many
tragic incidents of the past. He said the machinery of the plant was
kept rusting at Karachi Port.
Shahbaz said he was not
levelling allegations against anyone; however, it was the nation’s right
to know the facts about the loot and plunder with regard to this
project. “Like this project, which has been completed in a record time
period under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the other
energy projects will be completed as soon as possible,” the Punjab chief
minister added.
He said the Chinese company Dongfong
restarted the work on the project in view of the faith it had in the
present government. He said the Chinese company had promised to make the
first turbine functional by November 2014, but when the project
commenced after a lapse of three years, the Chinese officials were
surprised to see the pace of work. It was the hard work put in
collectively which ensured the completion of the project before the
stipulated time period. He further said Pakistani and Chinese experts
worked on this project round-the-clock with determination.
Shahbaz
was hopeful that under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, the country
would come out of its existing problems. He further said the projects
like the Nandipur Power Plant were a ray of hope in the prevailing
circumstances.
He also expressed the hope that all energy
generating projects would be completed speedily in the valleys of
Mehran, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Azad Jammu &
Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. He said the country would be transformed
in accordance with the vision of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal in the
real sense, where everyone would have an opportunity to excel and enjoy
equal rights.
He said we would all work as members of the PM’s team for making Pakistan a great country.
The
chief minister thanked the Chinese president, premier, people and
officials of the Dongfong Electric Company, saying the Chinese
government and leadership were fully supporting Pakistan. He also
thanked Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Water
& Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, provincial ministers Rana Sanaullah,
Col Shuja Khanzada, chief secretary and IG Punjab, commissioner
Gujranwala, DCO, RPO, CCPO as well as engineers and workers of the
Dongfong Company, Pakistani engineers, workers and Project Director
Nandipur Captain Mahmood for their cooperation and hard work. He also
recommended to the prime minister to award the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz to
Captain Mahmood for his contribution in establishing the plant in such a
short time period.
Various members of the Nandipur Power
Plant, including the Chinese officials, were awarded certificates for
their achievements in making the project a great success. The project
has the aggregate capacity of generating 425-MW power, and it would
reach its peak by the end of the current year.
Online
adds: PM Nawaz Sharif said the upcoming budget would contain several
relief measures for farmers and the business community.
