LAHORE: Members of the team assigned to find out the brazen killer of Zainab, met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday.
The chief minister appreciated the efforts of the team for arresting the killer and said that the arrest is the result of the team members’ hard work. The performance of all the departments including the forensic science agency that helped in tracing the criminal is commendable, he said while adding that the bereaved family is a bit satisfied over the arrest.
The whole nation was in a state of agony over the tragic incident and the arrest of the killer within two weeks has helped the people to get rid of this pain. He said that he is thankful to everyone as the example of such a concerted effort is very uncommon.
The whole team made strenuous efforts to nab the culprit and Allah blessed us with success, he added. Everyone was dewy-eyed over the barbaric murder of the minor, but owing to the team’s hard work, the nation has now come out of the anguish. If we continue to jointly work to deal with our problems, no challenge will be impossible to solve, said CM Shehbaz.
The chief minister also said that the model devised a few years back to deal with dengue is before us and all the segments of the society played their role to overcome the menace of the disease. Every challenge can be countered effectively by following this role model, he added. He said that latest scientific methodology is needed to be adapted to maintain peace and to curb crime from the society.
Punjab Forensic Science Agency is the largest institution of its kind in South Asia and cases from foreign countries are referred to it as well. He said that the Punjab government announced a cash prize of 10 million rupees to identify the culprit and now the amount will be divided among the members of the team that identified and arrested the criminal on merit. The committee will soon finalise and present its recommendations in this regard, concluded the chief minister.
Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Ayub Gadhi, Jehangir Khanzada, Punjab Government Spokesperson Malik Ahmad Khan, Advisor Rana Maqbool Ahmad, IG Police, ACS (Home), members of the JIT, officials of the intelligence agencies, and administrative as well as police officers of Kasur were also present on the occasion.
Sugar mills will have to provide farmers with their rights: CM Shehbaz
In a separate development, Punjab chief minister also presided over a high-level meeting on Wednesday, in which matters pertaining to the payments to the sugarcane growers by the sugar mills came under discussion. Addressing the meeting, CM Shehbaz said that hard work of the sugarcane farmers will not be allowed to go down the drain and the sugar mills will have to provide the farmers with their rights. The owner of the mill that will procure sugarcane at a lower-rate will be arrested and no leniency will be shown, he added.
An action will also be initiated against the mill belonging to my kith and kin if it is found purchasing sugarcane at a lower-rate, said CM Shehbaz. He warned the sugar mill owners to mend their ways as he will not tolerate any damage to the farmers’ stakes and will go to every extent to protect their interests.
He asked the concerned officials to initiate an immediate legal action wherever complaints regarding the purchase of sugarcane at lower-rates are received. He further said that the concerned provincial ministers and secretaries should remain available in the fields to protect the interests of the farmers, and submit their reports to his office on a daily basis.
Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Bilal Yasin, Sheikh Allauddin, Naeem Akhtar Bhabha, ACS (Home), IG Police and other officials also attended the meeting while Provincial Minister Dr Farrukh Javed and Secretary Zakat attended the meeting from Sargodha through video link.
