LAHORE – Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday unveiled itselection manifesto for General Elections 2018.

While apprising attendants about party’s achievement in the recentlyconcluded five-year tenure, Sharif stated that PML-N uprooted menace ofterrorism, added 11000MW electricity to national grid and saved Rs160 blnof national exchequer in the mega-projects.

“Unemployment was at its peak while industries were non-functional backthen in 2013. Pakistan was facing worst energy crisis in its history”,Shehbaz told reporters.

“Unemployment was at its peak while industries were non-functional backthen in 2013. Pakistan was facing worst energy crisis in its history”,Shehbaz told reporters.

“PML-N will introduce self-employment scheme which will provide employmentto 2 million people. We will extend health card programme across Pakistan”,added Shehbaz.

The PML-N president went on to say that will bring under-privilegedfactions of the society out of poverty. He added, “We will implementeducation programme across country while process of awarding scholarshipsto poor kids will continue uninterrupted”.

Former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) added that Nawaz Sharif did not altername of Benazir Income Support Programme while taking credit of providingsubsidized fertilizer to farmers.

*Economic goals*

The main economic goals include raising the annual GDP growth rate at anaverage of over 7pc, reducing budget deficit and increasing investment toGDP ratio.

*Tax reforms*

These reforms include increasing tax to GDP ratio from 13pc to 16pc,lowering corporate tax to 25pc, introducing e-system to checkmis-declaration of assets and developing a Risk Management System for fairand effective audit system.

*Agriculture sector*

These reforms include promoting crop diversification, increasing water useefficiency, investing 1pc of agriculture sector’s GDP in research,utilizing foreign investment to modernize agriculture and providing afarmer support package to assist the sector’s transition into value addedcrops.

*Water issue*

These reforms include bolstering storage capacity by constructing Dia-MirBhasha dam and Mohamand hydropower project, implementing real-timemonitoring of river flows, sea water utilization, developing waterconversation systems and supplying clean drinking water to masses.

*Protection of women, minorities and vulnerable groups*

These reforms include establishing the anti-harassment cell, employingwidespread campaigns, providing women with access to credit facilities toentrepreneurship, eradicating gender based pay gaps, include more women inthe cabinet and increasing duration of maternity leaves.

*Low-cost housing schemes*

The junior Sharif vowed to launch low-cost housing schemes for those whocan’t afford houses of their own. “We would charge less interest on loansand make sure that people from poor backgrounds are able to afford a roofon their heads.”

The scheme would be for all those who are not able to afford houses orapartments for themselves, he added.