Perturbed over frequent strikes in the commercial capital of Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that “even if a fly dies, strike is called in Karachi” and this ‘culture of strikes’ has severely damaged the national economy. He has pledged to smash all mafias in Karachi and unmask their patrons.
“We cannot afford strikes. Pakistan can prosper only if we put an end to the ‘culture of strikes’,” the premier said on Friday while addressing the 38th exports awards distribution ceremony of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, AAP reported.
“Politicians should solve their problems through talks,” he said, adding that his government in the Center has introduced a culture of APCs [all parties’ conferences] in order to tackle national challenges through a broad-based national approach.
The premier said his government wanted countrywide development without any discrimination. Metro Bus, K-4 water supply scheme, Lyari Expressway and many other development projects would be initiated in Karachi, he added.
“Work on Karachi-Hyderabad motorway would commence in the next few days. The project was launched earlier but it took some time to streamline the things and start the work,” he said. The motorway would be first extended to Sukkur and then to Multan, Lahore and Peshawar. “Karachi and Peshawar will be linked through the motorway within the shortest possible time,” he pledged.
Nawaz said the Thar coal would be used for power generation instead of depending on the imported commodity. Coal for some power plants would be imported till the time the Thar fields started production at commercial level, he added.
The premier said China’s planned investment of $46 billion under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor showed its confidence in Pakistan’s economy, which was moving in the right direction, he said, adding that the enemies were trying to create hurdles in the execution of CPEC, but their designs would not succeed.
He assured the business community his government wanted maximum participation of the private sector in economic and development activities. The government, he said, had always consulted the business community before taking any decision on the national economy.
