Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a high-level meeting today which gave approval to a comprehensive programme for the provision of modern sports facilities to the youth in different cities of the province. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that sports play an important role in setting up a healthy society, and added that the trends of extremism could also be curbed by promoting sports activities.
He said that the government is implementing a massive project for promoting sports activities in the province. He said that playgrounds are being constructed throughout the province. Giving approval in principle to the programme of construction of sports complex, the chief minister said that the project will be started from Lahore while sports complexes will also be constructed in other cities of the province under a phased programme.
He said that outdoor and indoor sports facilities will be provided in sports complexes. He said that swimming pools, badminton, tennis, volleyball and other sports facilities will be provided in these sports complexes. He said that the project of construction of sports complex is of vital importance and there is a need to execute the project expeditiously.
The chief minister directed that where land is available, the construction work of sports complexes should be started immediately and the project should be furthered speedily. Shehbaz Sharif said that like other projects of Punjab government, special attention should be paid to transparency, standard and speedy completion of the project for the provision of sports facilities.
He said that the youth should actively participate in positive activities like sports, and added that Punjab government will provide all-out resources for the promotion of sports activities among the youth. Lahore Division commissioner, DG LDA, DCO Lahore, former DG LDA, DG Punjab Sports Board and Cthe chief executive officer Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab attended the meeting.
Shehbaz thanks China for releasing funds for OLMT project:
Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif has thanked the Chinese government and ladership for handing over funds of 33 billion rupees to Pakistan for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project. He said that despite propaganda, speculations and doubts, provision of installment of 33 billion rupees for the project by Exim Bank of China reflect full confidence of China in the leadership and policies of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and the Punjab government.
He said that the Chinese prime minister has described Orange Line Metro Train as a gift for Pakistan. He said that Pakistani people can never forget the gift of China. He said that some opponents to Lahore Orange Line Metro Train have launched baseless propaganda against the splendid public welfare project and tried to create uncertainty, however, the Chinese government and leadership have proved their unprecedented friendship with Pakistan by issuing funds for the project.
Shehbaz Sharif said that completion of Orange Line Metro Train project will usher a new era of friendship between Pakistan and China and the project will reflect unswerving relations between the two countries. He said that release of funds for the project by China should serve as a lesson for those elements who are opposed to provision of facilities to the common people.
He said that Lahore Orange Line Metro Train is a unique and big project in the history of Pakistan and funds of billions of rupees of the nation have been saved on the project. He said that it is for the first time that Chinese government has assigned construction work of the project to Pakistanis companies which will result in capacity-building of the local institutions.
