LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif unequivocally criticised PPP leader Asif Zardari for “trying to take credit for the CPEC project” and warned PTI chief Imran Khan of litigation for levelling bribe charges here on Thursday.

Distributing laptops among students here, Shahbaz said: “The nation is well aware of the worth of Zardari Sahib. Why you did not lay foundation stone of the Gwadar port if the Chinese government had so much confidence in you.”

Shahbaz said Mr Zardari’s claim “is nothing but just a lie” as the project was initiated when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited China on July 9, 2013.

Uses laptop event to assail political foes

Rejecting the accusations of Imran Khan regarding Rs10 billion offer for keeping quiet on the Panama case, the CM said Niazi Sahib had set new records of telling lies.

“Niazi Sahib has levelled a baseless allegation against me that my friend offered him payment of billions of rupees in Dubai if he remained silent on the Panama case. It is false and a white lie.”

He said if Imran Khan had set records in cricket grounds he was now setting records of “allegations” and “lies” in the political field.

The chief minister said he reserved the right to sue the PTI chairman in a court of law and would surely use this right.

He said if he was found guilty of the charge he must not be pardoned and if the allegation was found to be baseless then he would appeal to the Supreme Court to decide who was truthful and honest.

He said opponents of public welfare projects were bent upon opposing development and prosperity.

He said by showing indifference to the needs of under-privileged children they only wanted best education facilities for their own children so they could excel in their careers whereas talented children of the poor should remain illiterate and do petty jobs.

He said when he initiated this scheme back in 2011, ‘foes’ tried to malign him by blaming that he was trying to purchase their votes but “our good intentions prevailed as we think that laptops look much better in the hands of youth rather than guns.”

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2017