The Prime Minister Congratulated Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz

 The Prime Minister congratulated Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz

possible time of 18 months and termed it a highly laudable step. He hoped rest of the project would be completed at the earliest. Nawaz Sharif said the Metro transport system was the best possible service for the people of Multan.

He said there was a suggestion for doubling the fare in Multan from Rs 20, however he quashed it and said the government would subsidize the travel. He said the government would incur a cost of billions to benefit the masses, but it was nothing when compared to the ease of transportation for the masses.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif said the project was part of vision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in which he believes that roads and communication networks were the key to success of every nation.

He said it would help in spread the pace of progress to every nook and corner of the country, save time and enhance economic activity. Shahbaz Sharif said even the critics of the Lahore-Islamabad motorway now acknowledged its benefits.

He said Rs 4.5 bln were spent on the acquisition of land for the project out of Rs 28 bln cost of the project. He said the Prime Minister has to his credit a string of development projects spanning across the country that were aimed at generating electricity, storing water, building roads and infrastructure.

Shahbaz Sharif said the completion of the project has put an end to all the speculations about the commitment of the government to the uplift of the South Punjab.

He regretted that the opposition on the other hand has done little but to set up rumour mongering factories that were churning out nothing but baseless allegations.

Shahbaz said the quality of Multan Metro was much better than that of Lahore and Rawalpindi. He said the Federal government was now fully funding the Green Line project for Karachi. He regretted the criticism against the Orange Line project in Lahore and said Chinese investors were now on working on circular railway projects in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar.

He categorically stated that the government was completing the projects with full transparency, without even a penny of corruption. He said it was time that those who were trying to hide behind the Panama issue, should stop deceiving the people and start acknowledging the development works undertaken by the PML-N government.

Minister for food Security Sikandar Hayat Bosan said the project has put the city and surroundings on path of development and progress and termed it a gift by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the people of South Punjab.

He also lauded them for the revolutionary package for the agriculture sector and said the farming community were very pleased to get the incentives. Mayor Multan Naveed Arain and others also spoke on the occasion.