The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Sunday took out a huge rally against prolonged outages and price hike in the country. The rally gathered at Nila Gumbad Chowk where it was addressed by several PML-N leaders including Hamza Shahbaz Sharif.
The rally participants shouted slogans against the Pakistan People’s Party-led federal government and criticized it for failing to end the power crisis that has literally paralyzed the industries and left several thousand labourers without jobs.
Addressing the rally, the PML-N leaders vociferously attacked the federal government for “targeting Punjab” and deplored that despite a consensus reached during the energy summit held in Lahore a few months ago that load shedding would be carried out equally among the provinces, Punjab was still being punished with unscheduled outages of up to 22 hours.
The PML-N leaders also slammed the government for the price hike, claiming that it was getting difficult for the common man to meet ends because of the ever-increasing prices of basic items.
Earlier, addressing a meeting at his Minar-e-Pakistan Camp Office, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that national resources had been spent on facilitating rulers and the elite class while the poor and deprived segments of society had been completely ignored in the last 64 years.
Shahbaz said the PML-N government had diverted funds towards projects aimed at improving the living standard of the common man and provision of amenities to the neglected masses.
He said work was speedily in progress on the metro bus service project and its completion would result in comfortable transport facility to the masses. The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to ensure smooth supply of water to citizens at all costs.
He said modern infrastructure was essential for the promotion of economic and trade activities as well as rapid development therefore the provincial government was spending large amounts of resources on the that.
Reviewing the track of metro bus service from Niazi Chowk to Shahdara, the chief minister said the project of construction of an additional bridge on River Ravi should also be evolved in view of the future needs and the NHA should be contacted for this purpose.
The chief minister inspected the metro bus service project from Kahna to Bhatti Chowk and was given a briefing regarding the project at Lahore Bridge, Kalma Chowk, and Lytton Road.
During a briefing regarding additional bridge along the Lahore Bridge on Ferozepur Road, Shahbaz said the construction of the additional bridge should be completed by August 14.
Lahorris say no to load shedding
