- Punjab CM says PML-N govt wants effective accountability but it won’t allow any department to influence projects of national importance
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to function responsibly, saying it should remain confined to its goals as a responsible watchdog.
In a statement released here Saturday, the chief minister said the government desired to have an effective accountability procedure in place in the country, but it would not allow any department to influence projects of national importance.
Shehbaz Sharif’s statement came a few days after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif criticised the NAB alleging the institution of raiding residences of innocent people (government officials).
The premier had, while addressing a gathering of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers in Bahawalpur, said the Bureau should better its functioning and act responsibly. He had also instructed the NAB chairman to take notice of the issue.
CM vows to completely end child labour from Punjab:
Meanwhile, addressing the 9th meeting of steering committee set up for elimination of child labour from brick kilns, Shehbaz Sharif issued instructions for a comprehensive survey for elimination of child labour from auto workshops, hotels and petrol pumps beides brick kilns as he vowed to eradicate child labour from society.
The meeting decided to eliminate child labour from auto workshops, hotels and petrol pumps after complete elimination of child labour from brick kilns.
The chief minister directed that the process of survey should be completed at the earliest and final recommendations be presented. He said that elimination of child labour from brick kilns was his mission, adding that children would be equipped with education.
He said that like elimination of child labour from brick kilns, strict action would also be taken for eliminating child labour from other professions.
Sharif said that mortgaging families through advance payment for child labour at brick kilns would be eliminated and all-out resources would be provided for children of the nation. He said he would not rest content till ensuring enrolment of last child working at brick kilns.
The CM said that elimination of child labour was a form of worship and “we will have to work like a team for achieving this objective”. He said that more than 31,000 children working for brick kilns had been enrolled in schools and reiterated that all children working on brick kilns would be brought to schools for education.
Sharif said the Punjab government had given revolutionary package for providing education to children working at brick kilns. He added that besides a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000, free books, uniform and stationery would be given to every child whereas Rs 2,000 would be given to parents of children going to schools.
The CM further said that bonded labour was a social curse which would be eliminated at every cost. He asked officials concerned to leave offices and go to the field for eliminating child labour from brick kilns and review the steps taken in this regard.
He ordered that challans of cases registered on violation of laws on child labour be sent at the earliest so that the violators could be awarded punishment. He said that continuous socio-economic steps were essential for the families working on brick kilns for elimination of mortgaging families through advance payment for taking child labour at brick kilns.
Chief minister's definition of a good and effective NAB is one which prosecutes just bureaucratic shrimp, but lacks the will, resolve and the nerve to go after the corporate piranhas and political sharks, gobbling away billions of dollars of state's wealth year on year with impunity.
PML- N information minister stated his government's resolve not to let NAB stand in the way of progress. By carefully selecting the word progress, the information minister is wasting his time with his petty window dressing, when even a child knows, progress in Pakistan is never allowed to take its course unless of course, a sizable proportion of it disguises itself in some convenient form designed to ducks and dive it's way to its intended destination, somewhere in a dodgy offshore account.
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