PML-N piggybacked agencies to come into power: Kaira

TAXILA: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira Tuesday said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) always piggybacked the agencies to come into power.

“This time people of Punjab would reject them”, said he addressing a worker's convention here.

Kaira said Pakistan Peoples Party government had exterminated mistrust among the provinces and revived the prestige of national flag and successfully hoisted it at every nook and corner of the country.

“PPP government had promoted the politics of reconciliation”.

Brushing aside the impression that PPP has not delivered during its five-year tenure, Kaira said at the very outset of the tenure in 2008 there was scarcity of flour, wheat, and other edible items.

People used to get essential items standing in long queues. In 2008, the PPP had to import wheat, sugar and now in 2013, ample stocks of edibles were available in the country, he said.

Kaira said after the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the a split in the party was the talk of the town but with only 128 seats PPP was set to complete its tenure of five years.

Castigating Punjab Chief Minister Mian Sharif for emulating Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by smashing mikes, he said one could not become ZAB by such gimmicks.

Kaira said Sharif brothers left the country after striking a deal with a dictator and kept misleading people about the existence of any deal, whereas Bhutto preferred gallows to such a compromise.

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto saved the country, he added.

He said, "We are more sincere with Punjab than Shahbaz Sharif."

Punjab government had burnt billions in 'Tandoors' and Laptop
schemes, he added.

Kaira said after seeing the squandering of provincial resources, the people of South Punjab demanded a separate province. "If all the budget of Punjab is spent in Lahore, the people of South Punjab will be right in raising voice for their rights."

Sharif brothers could not win majority seats in Lahore following the entry of Imran Khan and Tahir ul Qadri while Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Samina Khalid Ghurki and others have the potential to get elected from the provincial capital, he said.

Brushing aside IRI survey, he said the same survey had declared in 2008 that the PPP might win only 20 seats in the elections. PPP was even in a position to form government in Punjab but decided against it only to promote reconciliation, he added.

Paying tribute to Kashmiris on solidarity day, he said that independence of Pakistan is incomplete without the independence of
Kashmir and "we have to complete the independence of Pakistan.

Criticizing Chaudhry Nisar, he said Nisar had no idea about the agenda of PML-N sit-in.

“Nisar wants banknotes and votes alike which is not possible in current scenario”.

He said that the nation could not forget the service and sacrifices of PPP, adding PPP would win all seats from Southern Punjab.