PML-N policies made local industrial production unviable: Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday said economic policies introduced by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the past, had adversely affected the national economy, rendering local industrial production unviable and making Pakistan an ‘importing country.’

Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Industries and Production Hamad Azhar in response to Shahbaz Sharif’s media talk, he said the masses had rejected the opposition parties in general elections 2018 due to their corruption and lacklusture performance.

The minister said the past rulers destroyed different institutions of the country and now they were sitting on opposition benches, with the sole agenda to make money by all means.

Shibli Faraz said they also minted money and got kickbacks apparently from power projects and today the public were compelled to use expensive electricity due to their corrupt practices  and flawed policies.

The minister said the PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had appointed their blue-eyed persons in the departments, which were supposed to regulate various sectors and stop money laundering.

The present government had introduced Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT) in Peshawar that would reduce pollution, besides solving the traffic issues in the city.

It was the best ever facility given by the government in the history of Pakistan under which the people of Peshawar were getting full benefits on affordable rates, he added.

He said the launch of Sehat Insaf Card for the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was a golden chapter in history of the country.

“For the first time, the entire population of a province is going to be covered through this health insurance scheme and the credit for this landmark achievement goes to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he said.

In contrast, the past governments did nothing for the welfare of the poor and the underprivileged, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has done something that was unprecedented
and unheard of, he said.

The information minister said new agreements were being inked with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that would enable the government to purchase cheap electricity from private companies for providing to end-consumers at lower rates.

He said that the past governments had failed to protect the rights of consumers by signing expensive power contracts adding it was not possible to undo such contracts unilaterally.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan intended to address the issue of expensive electricity on an immediate basis due to which a team was constituted which held negotiations with the IPPs to revisit the old contracts.

He informed that the government was encouraging renewable energy which would ultimately  help ease dependence on petroleum fuel and reduce the cost of electricity production.

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