My only intention has been to serve poor masses: Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday urged the nation to make determined and concerted efforts to make Pakistan regain its grandeur and stature and compete with the world.

The prime minister, addressing the inauguration ceremony of Bhara Kahu Bypass here, said the country’s eastern neighbour had moved far ahead but nothing was to worry about if the nation was resolved to take the country forward as was dreamt by Quaid-e-Azam and pursued by Nawaz Sharif in the 1990s.

Started in October 2022, the project was executed by NLC within nine months, costing Rs6.25 billion. It has removed a major bottleneck for millions of commuters travelling to Murree, Kashmir, and Galliyat, besides remarkably reducing their travel time.

The prime minister, who inaugurated the project, said throughout his political career and during all of his interactions, his only intention had been to serve the poor masses who had been faced with tough conditions of life.

But, he said, the previous governments had been wasting billions of rupees from the national kitty by impeding public projects, and exemplified Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant which was stopped despite having spent billions of rupees which otherwise could have been used for public interest projects, the official news agency reported.

Calling the Bhara Kahu bypass’ inauguration a moment of satisfaction, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the project would ease the difficulties of travellers of Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa visiting Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Galliyat.

He said the project should have been completed years ago but the incumbent conceived it and managed to accomplish it within nine months despite challenges including land dispute with Quaid-e-Azam University, which was settled through court.

The prime minister said he had given a three-month target for the project completion which was also achievable had there been no challenges.

He said Bhara Kahu Bypass was also the vision of Nawaz Sharif, whose government was removed through the “worst conspiracy” and the projects of his government were impeded.

He said the government completed the Metro Bus Project within no time which had been suspended by the previous government. He told the gathering that after the opening of LCs the environment-friendly electric buses were set to reach Islamabad for the facilitation of the residents of Islamabad.

The prime minister instructed the CDA to plant a million trees around the Bhara Kahu Bypass, though around 70,000 have already been planted.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked the party leadership for their support and contribution to the project and instructed the CDA to beautify Islamabad like Baku of Azerbaijan.

He also appreciated Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir for his dedicated support for the project.

In her address, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb recalled the journey of progress marked by the determined and resolved efforts by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the last 15 months.

She said the prime minister managed to revive the course of development which was initiated by the PML-N government in its previous tenure but was obstructed by the previous government.

She said within a short span of 15 months, the incumbent government provided relief to the people from across the country, be it free flour distribution or relief works during floods. The prime minister turned the instability into economic prosperity, she added.