LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif presented his party’s manifesto for the upcoming general elections here in Lahore on Thursday.
The PML-N president, whose party ruled the country for last five years, said that the PML-N government steered the country out of energy crisis and provided better roads, public transport and infrastructure, and if elected to power again, will resolve the water crisis.
The former chief minister Punjab, who rose to his party’s presidency after his elder brother’s disqualification, maintained that the party has a clear plan as it ruled the country and will now focus on betterment of health facilities, water reservoirs and reduction of poverty.
While apprising attendants about party’s achievement in the recently concluded five-year tenure, Sharif stated that PML-N uprooted menace of terrorism, added 11000MW electricity to national grid and saved Rs160 billion of national exchequer in the mega-projects.
“Unemployment was at its peak while industries were non-functional back then in 2013. Pakistan was facing worst energy crisis in its history”, Shahbaz told reporters. “Unemployment was at its peak while industries were non-functional back then in 2013. Pakistan was facing worst energy crisis in its history”, Shahbaz told reporters.
“PML-N will introduce self-employment scheme which will provide employment to 2 million people. We will extend health card programme across Pakistan”, added Shahbaz.
The PML-N president went on to say that will bring under-privileged factions of the society out of poverty. He added, “We will implement education programme across country while process of awarding scholarships to poor kids will continue uninterrupted”.
Former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) added that Nawaz Sharif did not alter name of Benazir Income Support Programme while taking credit of providing subsidized fertilizer to farmers.
The main economic goals include raising the annual GDP growth rate at an average of over 7pc, reducing budget deficit and increasing investment to GDP ratio.
These reforms include increasing tax to GDP ratio from 13pc to 16pc, lowering corporate tax to 25pc, introducing e-system to check mis-declaration of assets and developing a Risk Management System for fair and effective audit system.
These reforms include promoting crop diversification, increasing water use efficiency, investing 1pc of agriculture sector’s GDP in research, utilizing foreign investment to modernize agriculture and providing a farmer support package to assist the sector’s transition into value added crops.
These reforms include bolstering storage capacity by constructing Dia-Mir Bhasha dam and Mohamand hydropower project, implementing real-time monitoring of river flows, sea water utilization, developing water conversation systems and supplying clean drinking water to masses.
These reforms include establishing the anti-harassment cell, employing widespread campaigns, providing women with access to credit facilities to entrepreneurship, eradicating gender based pay gaps, include more women in the cabinet and increasing duration of maternity leaves.
The junior Sharif vowed to launch low-cost housing schemes for those who can’t afford houses of their own. “We would charge less interest on loans and make sure that people from poor backgrounds are able to afford a roof on their heads.” The scheme would be for all those who are not able to afford houses or apartments for themselves, he added. – NNI