SHANGLA: Despite taking loans worth trillions of rupees, the PTI has nothing to its credit on the development side, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday.

“The previous government got loans worth Rs2.4 trillion, but it failed to set up any new hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during its stint in power,” the prime minister said while speaking at a public meeting in Bisham tehsil of Shangla district.

Referring to the PTI chairman’s public meetings, he said that Imran Khan did not talk about his government’s performance because “he doesn’t have anything (to show) to the masses on this front”.

Mr Sharif said that he would work hard to transform Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa into a developed province and provide all basic facilities to the people on top priority.

EU renews pledge to reinvigorate ties with Pakistan

PML-N activists from Shangla, Battagram and Torghar and all three districts of Kohistan participated in the massive public meeting. This was the prime minister’s second visit to KP after assuming charge of his office. Earlier, he had visited the North Waziristan tribal district.

Referring to the PTI’s provincial government, the prime minister questioned how many hospitals and health facilities the KP government had constructed and provided free-of-cost treatment and medicines to the poor people during its rule.

“Due to their corruption and incompetency, the previous rulers even did not put a single brick to the stalled development projects; the BRT was delayed causing billions of rupees loss,” he said.

The prime minister requested the KP chief minister to ensure sale of flour on subsidised rates.

He also announced establishment of a medical college in Bisham and assured that work on the Bisham-Khwazakhela Expressway would be expedited.

He also promised that he would ensure completion of 132 Puran grid station within three months.

The prime minister also announced Rs2 billion for development of roads, water supply, agriculture and other schemes to resolve problems of the masses.

Baqir Sajjad adds from Islamabad: Meanwhile, the European Union on Saturday renewed its pledge to reinvigorate its ties with Pakistan.

The pledge was made during a meeting of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Charge d’Affaires of EU Thomas Seiler, along with a delegation of European Union (EU), Prime Minister Office said in a statement.

The EU affirmed its commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation with Pakistan, the PM office said.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2022