PML-N utilising all available resources for country's betterment: Saad

LAHORE: Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique Sunday said the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government had utilised all available resources for betterment of the country.

Addressing a public gathering after laying foundation stone of a bridge in Cantonment area here, he said the PML-N had fulfilled all the promises it had made during the 2013 election campaign.

He said elimination of terrorism was one of the promises, which was fulfilled as peace had been restored in Karachi, Balochistan and other parts of the country.

"Now terrorists hardly succeed in their attempts to destroy peace in any part of the country," he added.

The minister said terrorism eradication became possible with unflinching political support across the country.

Another promise, he said, was about ending load-shedding, which had been reduced to a great extent despite numerous hurdles created by the opponents. Saad said when the PML-N took over the government, queues at CNG (compressed natural gas) stations had become a routine because of gas load management, but now the situation was far better.

He said all the elected prime ministers in the past had to suffer, but dictators were set free. Despite working for the national development, politicians were portrayed in negative sense, he added.

"The PCO law was a black law, which was imposed by a dictator," he added.

He said it was the high time to decide that the country should be run through vote.

The minister said the Pakistan Railways had become a dump house when he took over its charge. But now it was earning Rs40 billion against Rs18 billion in the 2013, he added.

"If the Railways can be operated successfully, the country can also be run," he said.

Saad Rafique said non-professional journalists should also be held accountable for telling "lies".

He expressed the hope that the people would vote for Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N in the general election 2018 as the PML-N government had completed several development projects across the country without any discrimination.

He said neither the PML-N want any confrontation nor to weaken any institution in the country.

The minister said institutions had a greater role to play in the national development. The government, he said, was working to improve the infrastructure in the country and it should be given a chance constitutionally.

He said it was need of the hour to respect the point of view of one another and all should work within their constitutional parameters.

He said the PML-N would work for the nation by raising the flags of Pakistan and party. He said Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had been nominated as party's candidate for the prime minister's slot and he would make other provinces a model like Punjab after winning the next elections.

He asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership to avoid abusive langauge as such politics had always failed.

He claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched against the PML-N. "Several allegations have been leveled against it and its leadership," he added.

He asked PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari as to what change he had brought in Sindh and questioned Imran Khan as to how many universities, hospitals and roads he had constructed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier, he expressed grief over the death of renowned lawyer Asma Jahangir and payed her tributes over her services for democracy.