SHEIKHUPURA, April 30: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif says his party will work for revival of the sick industry and develop the agriculture sector on scientific lines after winning the May 11 general election.

Speaking at a gathering at the Company Bagh Ground on Tuesday, Sharif said the country was passing through a critical phase because of former rulers’ policies. He criticised the former federal government for the unscheduled loadshedding and promised to address this issue on priority if his party was voted to power. He said the PML-N was representing the new generation and most people at the public meeting were young. He said a special bank would be set-up with its branches in every city and town of the country to give loans to young people to start their own businesses.

Earlier, Sharif addressed a public meeting in Sangla Hill and promised to connect this town to the motorway. As soon as Sharif left Sangla Hill, two groups of his party clashed over a petty issue. They used chairs and iron rods to attack each others. The local police did not interfere.

Similarly, supporters of PML-N candidate for the National Assembly constituency Javed Latif ‘severely’ beat up party’s candidate for PP-167 Arif Khan Sandhila at the police ground helipad over a petty issue soon after Sharif left the place. He was initially shifted to a nearby private hospital and then to a Lahore hospital in a ‘serious condition’.

Later, supporters of the injured candidate took out a rally in the city against Latif’s supporters. They demanded a case against the accused at the earliest.

In Gujranwala, former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif asked people to vote for the PML-N for a ‘bright’ Pakistan.

Speaking at a public meeting at Alipur Chattha on Tuesday, he said arrow, bat and cycle etc. were trying to deceive people to get votes in the election. He said Imran Khan knew the ground realities and he ‘rightly asked people at a public meeting to put a stamp on PML-N election symbol of lion’.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, the former chief minister held the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) responsible for the latest surge in terror attacks.

He said the federal and provincial caretaker governments and the ECP were not effectively countering terrorism. He told a questioner that candidates facing threats must be provided adequate security cover by the authorities.Replying to a query, he said now Khan was throwing a debate challenge to Nawaz Sharif but he evaded a similar challenge given by him (Shahbaz) about two months ago. He said Khan backed out of his claim that he would contest election against Nawaz Sharif.