FAISALABAD: “This government has put the country on the road to progress and prosperity,” State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said on Sunday.
He was speaking to newsmen at Bagh-i-Jinnah after inaugurating a ladies gymnasium.
“Soon Pakistan will be an Asian Tiger,” he said.
He said the government had devoted all its resources for the uplift of energy, health and communication sectors.
He said the government wanted to improve living standards of the people.
He said several projects in collaboration with Chinese companies were on the cards.
He said that there was need to develop consensus on the construction of river water reservoirs like Kalabagh dam. He said these water projects would also help produce cheap energy to meet future needs of the country.
“Some political parties are trying to instigate the armed forces against a democratic government,” he said. “Leaders of such political parties should be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution.”
“It is unfortunate that some political parties are trying to create a rift when there is none,” he said.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had launched a number of programmes which would generate thousands of jobs and strengthen the economy.
The state minister said Pakistan Awami Tehrik chief Allama Tahirul Qadri was a foreigner who had no clue how Pakistani politics worked.
He said Qadri had no electoral support and could only support “negative politics.”
He said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan was creating hurdles and encouraging differences between national institutions.
He said, “Those who are creating a scene by giving an impression of a big political alliance in London are living in a fool’s paradise. Rejected politicians cannot succeed.”
Ali also criticised Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon and said he should avoid encouraging differences on the basis of ethnicity.
The minister said the Sindh government should focus on ensuring merit and transparency and should launch more development-oriented projects.
“No one should be allowed to play the ethnic card for their vested interests and political point-scoring,” Ali said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2014.