Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said the heavy rain in Karachi had completely exposed performance of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaving no ground for Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to have a live debate with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
Recently, Bilawal Bhutto invited PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to engage in a debate with him anywhere before the February 8 general elections in the country. At that time, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said it would be better if Nawaz Sharif was invited to inspect Sindh instead of holding a debate.
Following this, Bilawal Bhutto accepted the challenged and proposed three places for inspection.
Today’s comments, however, came in the backdrop of urban flooding crisis in Karachi, triggered by heavy rains the other day.
“A day ago comparison has been done as mothers and sisters walked through rainwater and vehicles got stuck in pools of water,” said Shehbaz Sharif while addressing a news conference.
Flanked by PMLN leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb, Ishaq Dar, and Azma Bokhari, the former prime minister criticized the Karachi administration for its inadequate response to the heavy rain, which resulted in major arteries being submerged and commuters stranded in their vehicles.
The former prime minister pointed out the stark contrast in water supply methods, stating that Karachi relied on water tankers while Lahore used them for road cleaning.
Shehbaz responded to Bilawal’s persistent debate challenges, stating that instead of engaging in a verbal exchange, a more meaningful comparison should be drawn based on actual performances.
Referring to the recent Transparency International (TI) report, Shehbaz credited all 13 political parties of the previous coalition government representing the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for the country’s improved ranking on the global corruption index.
The TI report, according to Shehbaz, directly links corruption to the election and post-election periods, establishing accountability for alleged wrongdoings. He highlighted that during the PDM-led government in 2023, Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) improved, indicating a reduction in corruption compared to the tenure of his rival, Imran Khan, from 2018 to 2022.
Shehbaz seized the opportunity to underscore the significance of the upcoming elections, asserting that the public would voice their decision through the ballot box, as the future of the children is intricately linked to the electoral outcome.
