Of dengue, road constructions and Shahbaz Sharif
It was annoying for those who asked me who I was going to vote for in the upcoming elections as I told them I would vote for Khan sb for the National Assembly, and for provincial, only and only PML-N. “Why?” they would ask. The reason is very simple. We, the people living in Punjab, can never get a better chief minister than Shahbaz Sharif.
He is responsible neither for the inflation, the biggest problem we are facing, nor can we accuse him of the terrorism. However, he deserves due credit for what he did for the wellbeing of Lahore. (Yes, I live in Lahore, and can think selfishly.)
I take Ring Road every day, and reach my destination in twenty-five minutes compared to before-Ring Road time, which was forty-five minutes. Shahbaz Sharif has influenced my life directly as I move about on beautiful roads, witness a clean Lahore. In the last couple of years, whenever I went to Karachi, the filthy roads even in Clifton and Defence reminded me what a gem we have in the name of the CM.
He is blamed to be a workaholic, who rises before dawn and wants his cabinet to meet him at CM office sometimes as early as 5 am. I love to visualise them bickering and muttering while fixing their ties. He also gives deadlines for projects and refuses to take any kind of excuse. Punjab has sustained the pressure of centre only because of him.
Lahoris have been subjected to the worst ever load shedding, 18 hours a day in scorching heat. This guy shifted his secretariat in a camp in Minar-e-Pakistan grounds, claiming he wanted to associate with the suffering people of Punjab, who are a target of the centre. Drama or not, but it’s difficult to do so when you perspire from head to toe for three consecutive summer months.
When used to hearing all kinds of absurd and careless statements by the leaders, these kinds of news brings some relief. (Don’t care about what people say that he should better have been a Mayor.)
Then came dengue. Everyone in the city dreaded the thing. The faraway people, like those living in Karachi for example, did not believe the seriousness of the disease. They thought it was propaganda. But the truth was that more than 3,000 people were reported to have died of it, with many more unreported deaths. Everyone you met told about a close relative succumbing to death after dengue fever. People hunted Papaya trees as its leaves’ juice improved blood cell count. In every family there were patients, if not of dengue then of Chickanganya, another form of dengue type virus.
The mosquitoes had become immune to the sprays and you had to spray them individually to kill them. When a mosquito was killed, my children inspected it with magnifying glass to check whether it had white spots.
In those times, no Lahori can forget the campaign of our CM. He used every means to eradicate dengue. Worked 24/7. We saw the fruition of his efforts last year when there had been no deaths by dengue. So not voting for him seemed thanklessness to me.
He is known to have shortcomings but he does deliver on many fronts.
Nothing had changed until I saw what could make the environmentalists’ eyes bleed, and could make Wordsworth commit suicide.
It was merely a chance that I had not visited the other half of Lahore in the past few months. I used the canal route to reach my dentist and when I entered the Ferozepur Road where there would have been a beautiful entrance to the Gaddafi Stadium, amidst the greenery of the neighbouring nurseries, there was this horrible looking grill which blocked my view. I cannot say if I was more horrified or stupefied on what has been done to this place but I wonder how the people who live in that very place feel.
How on earth can you do this to a city and not feel bad? The place where the bus service would start in Qainchi, which was already a clutter, such things are not a problem. But at such points, where you need to be aesthetically correct, you should have lowered the path of the bus service.
In his enthusiasm, he totally forgot that he had just made Kalma Chowk again, had widened all connecting roads, and that Nawaz Sharif Park that ran all along Ferozepur Road will not be viewed anymore.
From the new IT Tower to the Canal Chowk, what was pleasing to the eye has become an eye-sore.
How can this lover of Lahore dump it like this? And why is it so difficult for the people to admit they too can be wrong for once? You can abandon the project, modify it, or at least do so at certain areas. Why could he not think of Monorail, or Skytrain, whatever they call it? It could cover the whole of Lahore, if used on the four main parallel roads and the canal crossing them.
Lahore bears an ugly scar. Lahore cries.
With 60% of Punjab's budget being spent on Lahore, it's no wonder Lahoris like this writer wish to vote for Shahbaz Sharif. The corollary of this is, all the areas of Punjab (like South Punjab) that have been deprived of development expenditure, as a result of the Lahore bias of the Sharif's, will vote against the PML(N).
I wish he was a resident of Peshawar.I believe we would not be suffering like we are.Bravo Mr Shahbaz Sharif.
You fool. Do you even know that the ring road project was initiated by Pervaiz Elahi? People like you are the reason Pakistan is in a mess. Your Shahbaz Sharif is a fool who starts projects on whims. He dreams of something one night and starts it next morning flouting all rules of business and necessary pre-requisites. With his Metro Bus System, he has divided the city in two parts. For someone like me who lives model town, if i now have to go to DHA, i cannot go via 'kainchi' because i have been deprived the opportunity to turn that way. The only option left is going through Firdous market. With the entire population now dependent on Firdous Market route to DHA, one can only imagine the amount of traffic pressure it would put on that route. So much for your shahbaz sharif's traffic plans.
And don't forget Kalma Chowk fiasco….it was only after it was complete that they realized "Oops…we never studied how much traffic passes through here!!!" Unflipping believable!!! (And are now applying the new underpass patch (which too will lead to a bigger mess….)
Rightly said. I am 100% sure Metrobus will fail miserably. He handed parks to Turkish firms and they hv failed to deliver proper services. Now he s searching other frims. Metrobus wud be a masterpiece of failure and Shahbaz lack of vision. Lahore commuter traffic trends dont support Metrobus. Company will run in loss and services will be stopped after 6 months. People will be seen waiting for rickshaws.Already his bus service failed in Lahore.
Yes all govt resources have been dumped to beautify Lahore and its major roads.Even nearby cities are showing worst kind of development.Gujranwala by pass is for last 3 years is under construction and still no hope for completion.Now people have so much used of this ruined network that now they add plus hours before traveling or going to any place.
Are u serious or having a laugh. he is supposed to be the CM of Punjab not Mayor of Lahore. The man has spent the bulk of Punjab budget in Lahore and then the rest on cosmetic initiatives to publicize himself n his family.
Mass Transit Bus Service has yet to prove its utility. CM should think of closing all other transport such as vans and buses on this route to make it success. Secondly,with that much money a dual track of rail-road could be built along major roads of Lahore. Thirdly, this project shows that our planners, engineers, contractors failed to do this job and the CM had to look for help somewhere else.What a CM? Some Lahoris believe he should be awarded honorary degrees in several enigneering subjects.
Metrobus started by Sharifs with the purpose of corruption. They hv much more money coming into their pockets thru these projects. Building powerhouses for electricity cud not fill Sharif pockets, so, they did not build powerhouses to generate electricity and end loadshedding. Sharifs only start those projects which fill their pockets.
And I hear the rebar/sirya for it is "imported" — but before you get excited, know that it supposedly comes from their Saudi mill.Actually I think it is from Ittefaq Foundries but you are paying imprted rates to fill their pockets.
Don't forget they stole Pujab govt's dairies and are selling milk from it under the brand name Anhar.
Don't forget they stole billions through the laptop scheme (charging some Rs125,000 for Rs. 30000 laptops). It paid off so well, they are launching it again.
Don't forget they stole billions through the Yellow Cab scheme, It paid off so well, they are launching it again.
Don't forget they have taken control of the poultry business….
Don't forget the "Computer Labs at every school" fraud that raked in billions….
Don't forget the Danish Schools scam….
God knows how many more scams are there……
they stole Pujab govt's dairies and are selling milk from it under the brand name Anhar.
This quality product Anhar has drastically reduced the business of Prema a diary project owned by chaudry's of Gujrat so they can bring this case into light or alarm federal govt about such daylight corruption but still they dont go for it even Peraviz is dy PM of Pakistan.
Don't forget they stole billions through the laptop scheme (charging some Rs125,000 for Rs. 30000 laptops). It paid off so well, they are launching it again.
80% laop tops have gone to deserved students who get high positions in professional so how can you say it is scam.NAB can grab them as you say but not a single case is filed like that. You see Kh ASIF is still pursuing RPP case and same like haj scam.so cases are in courts but not as you are mentioning.
Yellow cab, danish school, computer labs are still functioning not benefiting 100% as you claim but still beneficiaries are common people.
Kindly pick something which is not happening around us,
PML Noon is for Lahore and will be for Lahore and forever will stay for Lahore…now see the reasons for other leagues.
They only care if you live in Lahore if you are not in Lahore then must be But to get any service.
CM Punjab=Lahore Mayor
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