— Shehbaz says nobody will be allowed to exploit wheat farmers in Punjab
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday came hard on his political opponents and said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan was trying to deceive the nation by telling lies, but the people would not be a victim of his deceits anymore.
Speaking to media representatives in Chakwal, the chief minister said that people had Khan an opportunity to serve them but “Imran Niazi remained busy in sit-ins, strikes and threatening the government of civil disobedience”.
“He also created hurdles in the journey of development,” Shehbaz said and added that if Khan could have spared some time from such activities, he would have given attention to serving the ailing humanity. “Then he could have constructed a new hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and brought improvements in the medical facilities there,” said the chief minister and added that the system introduced by his government in Punjab’s DHQ hospitals had no resemblance in KP.
“We welcome any people from KP who come to Punjab for treatment because they are our brethren. We are happy that people from across the country come here for treatment,” he said, adding that on the other hand, there was Asif Ali Zardari in Sindh, who instead of providing medical facilities had “ruined his province and devastated Karachi”.
“Punjab will soon be able to compete with Malaysia and Turkey in regard to the standards of healthcare facilities. The journey is long but we have to reach our destination by working hard,” he said.
Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated an emergency block, CT scan machine and pathology lab at DHQ Hospital Chakwal. After the inauguration, he went to different sections of the hospital and inquired after the health of the patients.
The chief minister, at the occasion, announced to immediately abolish the tests’ fee in hospitals’ outdoor pathology labs across the province. He said that all such tests would be conducted free of cost and the government would bear the expenses.
Highlighting the steps taken by his government in a bid to revolutionise healthcare in Punjab, the chief minister said that a wonderful system of CT scan has been introduced with an investment of billions of rupees in the DHQ hospitals of the province.
“This facility is around-the-clock and no patients would suffer due to corruption, dishonesty or slackness at the hospitals anymore,” he said. The chief minister said that the provision of quality healthcare facilities to all the citizens was the responsibility of the state and it had been fulfilled by the Punjab government amicably.
Separately, Chief Minister Shehbaz through a video link on Tuesday, chaired a meeting aimed to review the wheat procurement campaign during which he said that nobody will be allowed to exploit the farmers in Punjab and he will personally monitor the process in each district.
During the meeting, Shehbaz also said that the role of middlemen will not be tolerated in the procurement. He ordered for the wheat farmers’ protection of interests to be ensured at every cost.
“Strict monitoring should be ensured in every district to eliminate the role of middlemen and strict legal action be initiated against the middlemen that exploit the farmers,” he added.
He emphasised that the protection of farmers’ saying that action will be taken against the concerned officers, as well as, the administration whenever a complaint regarding the distribution of gunny bags is received.
The meeting was apprised that 37 per cent of the gunny bags distribution had been completed and 63 per cent was remaining.
“Farmers are my brothers and protection of their interests has been confirmed earlier and, in the future, as well,” stated the chief minister.
Shehbaz assured that he along with ministers, advisors, special assistants and secretaries will personally supervise the wheat procurement campaign and further directed the concerned commissioners and DPOs to visit the procurement centers daily