‘PTI issues 10-year performance report of Shehbaz’
LAHORE: Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed on Thursday described Shehbaz Sharif as the worst chief minister of Punjab and issued a 10-year performance report.
Talking to reporters at the Punjab Assembly cafeteria, Mehmood ur Rasheed who was flanked by PTI MPAs Ahmad Khan, Murad Ras, Sadia Sohail Rana, Nosheen Hamid and Shanila Rowat, said that PTI had reviewed the performance of Shehbaz Sharif ever since he has been holding the portfolio of Punjab CM i-e for the last 10 years, and found that he (Shehbaz) had failed to bring a change in the lives of people of the province except for a few visible mega projects.
“Punjab had Rs 10 billion surplus in its balance when Shehbaz Sharif took charge but now Punjab owes Rs 750,” he said, adding that Rs 30 billion which was allocated for public welfare projects like clean drinking water, school reforms, farmers reform projects and safe city projects has been diverted to the Orange Line Metro Project (OLMT).
Criticizing the Saaf Pani Project, he said people in Punjab have been forced to drink faecal contaminated water and that there is a corruption of Rs 10 million in every water plant. According to him, 60 water treatment plants out of a total of 116 installed by the Punjab government have been completely shut down due to lack of proper maintenance. Out of the 60 operational water plants, 40 are giving unclean water in 28 districts of Punjab. He added that 38 per cent water treatment plants in Lahore gave faecal contaminated water.
Mehmood said that the Shehbaz Sharif-led Punjab government failed to introduce an agriculture policy in Punjab.
“The farmers have been facing worst time in history during the 10-year long tenure of Shehbaz. The sugarcane farmers are the worst victims. They are forced to sell sugarcane at Rs 120 per 40 kg against official price of Rs 182 per maund. The cane farmers will not be growing sugarcane next year.”
He stated that he had given the suggestion of introducing ‘kissan credit cards’ to give relief to farmers but the government did not pay heed to it.
He also talked about the education sector at length and claimed that the budget for education has been reduced by one percent since the government has spent funds allocated for education on the OLMT. He said, “25,000 students have chosen to shift education from the government-run schools to private schools in last one year alone. 70 per cent schools in Punjab do not have basic facilities.”
Similarly, he said that the health sector is in shambles in Punjab. “37 per cent Basic Health Units (BHUs) have been shut down. There are 60,000 AIDS patients in Punjab who are being given ordinary treatment.”
Talking about the law and order situation in Punjab, he said that the situation in Punjab has worsened in the last 10 years of Shehbaz Sharif’s rule.
“The crime rate has risen in Punjab. 3,89,000 cases of crimes including dacoity, rape, women abuse and child abuse were registered in Punjab in 2017. Shehbaz in his 10- year rule only changed the uniform of police and earned billions of rupees.”
He also claimed that 125 vehicles of the and 2752 personnel of the Punjab police are performing the duty of Sharif family.