Masses want progress of country, not sit-ins: Sharif

Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of the provincial cabinet on Thursday which gave approval to Punjab Animal Slaughter Control Amendment Bill 2015 and the draft law of Punjab Poultry Production Act 2013. The meeting also approved Punjab Private Education Commission Bill 2014, draft law of the Punjab Restriction of Employment of Children Act 2015 and Punjab Domestic Workers Policy 2015. The cabinet also expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements made for maintaining law and order in all the three phases of local bodies elections as well as the steps taken under the National Action Plan against terrorism.
The cabinet paid tributes to the dynamic leadership of Sharif on foolproof security arrangements for local bodies elections and effective implementation of the plan. Addressing the meeting of the cabinet, the chief minister said that better arrangements were made in Punjab as compared to other provinces for ensuring a peaceful atmosphere in all three phases of local bodies elections. He said that all necessary measures were taken for enabling the people to exercise their right of franchise in a peaceful atmosphere.
Sharif congratulated provincial committee on law and order, chief secretary, IGP, the home secretary and law enforcement agencies for making excellent security arrangements on the occasion of local bodies elections. He said that due to comprehensive measures taken in the province in different phases of local bodies elections, the people cast their vote in a free and fair atmosphere and they expressed their complete confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif once again. He said the masses through the power of their vote proved that they want progress and prosperity of the country and not sit-ins and therefore, they gave a befitting reply through their vote to these elements.
He said that the results of local bodies elections have authenticated the transparency of general elections of 2013. Under Punjab Animal Slaughter Control Amendment Bill 2015, approved in the meeting of cabinet, the elements selling haram or dead meat will be given four to eight years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 300,000 to Rs 500,000. Under the amendment, bill penalty for selling substandard or harmful meat has also been increased. The sale of substandard, harmful, haram or dead meat will be a non-bailable offence.
The chief minister said that Punjab government has adopted a solid strategy for the quality education in the province while splendid programmes have also been started for providing quality education to the poor but talented children. Under Punjab Private Education Commission Bill 2014, a 17-member commission will be formed to regulate private schools. Under the bill, private schools will be graded for regulating fee structure. Under the bill, private schools will be bound to provide free education to 10 percent low-income but talented boy and girl students. The commission will also play its role for controlling exploitation of teachers at private schools. The committees set up at district level will ensure implementation of the laws. It will compulsory for private schools to get themselves registered after 90 days of the establishment of the commission. The chief minister said the Punjab government is determined to eliminate child labour from the province and forced labour from children will be curbed at any cost. He said that laws with regard to child labour should be strictly implemented and the departments concerned should play an active role in this regard. Under the draft law of Restriction of Employment of Children Act 2015, industrial labour of all kinds from children below the age of 14 years will be banned.