PPP, allies responsible for country's problems: Nawaz
24 March, 2012
LAHORE: PML-N chief and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government and its allies are responsible for the country's problems, adding that his party was providing laptops and education to the youth and not guns.
Nawaz was speaking at a ceremony held at the Punjab University (PU) for the distribution of laptops among talented students of the varsity under the Punjab government's e-Youth Initiative on Friday.
Nawaz vowed that laptops would reach every corner of the country if the PML-N won the upcoming general elections. He said dictatorships and martial laws had divided Pakistan and put the country on a backward path while India was progressing because of democracy.
Nawaz said the PPP government and their allies were responsible for the country's problems. "The situation is bad but I am still hopeful," he said. "Pakistan's future will be brighter because of its youth, and God willing, the nation will stand up again."
The former premier also advised students to use laptops for positive and constructive activities and hoped that like these students, every Pakistani youth would be using a laptop soon. He also appreciated Chief Minister M Shahbaz Sharif for providing laptops to talented students.
"We don't just talk about change. We are bringing a change," he said, adding that while today Pakistan was facing the worst-ever energy crisis, when he was the prime minister, Pakistan was planning to export electricity to India. He also said Pakistan was far ahead then in terms of progress and development among other countries of the region.
Nawaz said Pakistan won a war against India in 1965 because the people of Pakistan showed unity, adding that we had not fought that war as Bengalis, Sindhis, Pathans, Baloch or Punjabis but as Pakistanis.
Talking about the Asia Cup final, Nawaz said he was confused about whom to congratulate and whom to sympathise with, given that Bangladesh had once been a part of Pakistan and Bengalis were at the forefront of the struggle for Pakistan's independence.
A number of evening programme students, protesting against the Punjab government for not providing them with laptops, were also present at the ceremony and highlighted their demand by chanting slogans. Nawaz took notice of them and said "You will also get laptops." The PML-N chief said if their names were not on the merit list, he would give them laptops from his own pocket
It merits mention that a total of 13,605 PU students got laptops but those who received the laptops in the ceremony were just 30. The ceremony was said to be the biggest event in the history of the Punjab University and around 20,000 students were invited. Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran, PML-N leaders Kh Asif, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, Pervaiz Malik, Saad Rafique, Pervaiz Rashid, Education Minsiter Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rahman, Zaeem Qadri and others were also present on the occasion while thousands of PU students attended the ceremony.
