—Shehbaz orders crackdown against those selling daily use items at exorbitant rates in Ramzan
— Pays tribute to bravery of Col Sohail Abid, who embraced martyrdom in Balochistan
–Condemns Israel’s barbarity against unarmed Palestinians
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government set new records of transparency, quality and speed and the five-year tenure of the ruling party was a tale of determination and honesty.
Speaking during a meeting with elected representatives here, Shehbaz said the successful test run of the first metro train in Lahore was a milestone and its credit went to the PML-N government. He said that the government was giving back the right of modern and standardised transport facilities to the common man and an international mass transit system has been given a practical shape in Punjab in this regard.
He said that after introducing metro bus services in Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi-Islamabad, the orange line metro train was another revolutionary initiative in the transport sector. “Orange line metro train will cover a distance of 27 kilometers in 45 minutes and people from all walks of life will benefit from this project,” he said and maintained that within the next few years, the number of passengers, who would use the train on a daily basis, would reach 500,000.
“Due to the delaying tactics of Niazi Sahib, the orange line metro train project got delayed for 22 months. If he had not created hindrances in this project, thousands of passengers would have been using this train already, said the chief minister while criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and added that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh were facing problems due to the dilapidated conditions of transport systems in their respective provinces while Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Imran Khan were unable to serve the masses. “If Allah Almighty accords us another opportunity to serve the masses, such projects will be launched all across the country,” he added.
Shehbaz said the Punjab government had promoted merit, transparency and honesty in every sector and the projects had been completed despite hurdles from the opponents. He said “U-turn Khan” had put the country’s development journey at risk and the “sit-in group” hatched conspiracies by ignoring the interests of the people of Pakistan.
Earlier at the occasion, the elected representatives congratulated Chief Minister Shehbaz for the successful test run of the orange line metro train and said the measures taken by the Punjab government for the welfare of the public were unprecedented. They said the orange train was a wonderful project launched for the common man, which reflected the development vision of Shehbaz Sharif.
Separately, the chief minister directed that provision of essential food items to the people should be ensured at every cost during the holy month of Ramzan.
“Effective measures should be continuously carried out to stabilise the prices of items of daily use in subsidised Ramzan Bazaars and other market places,” he added.
Issuing directions to provincial cabinet committee for price control here, the chief minister said that it was the responsibility of relevant departments as well as the administration to ensure ample availability of food items in the markets. Therefore, they should proactively work to provide relief to the masses, he said and added that the provision of different eatables should be made available at fixed rates and their prompt supply in the markets should also be ensured.
“Crack down should be carried out against the illegal profiteers,” he said and directed to initiate an indiscriminate action against those selling eatables at exorbitant rates.
He said the Punjab government had given a historic Ramzan Package worth billions of rupees to provide relief to the masses and every penny of this package should benefit them.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid rich tributes to the courage of Col Sohail Abid, who embraced martyrdom during an operation against terrorists by the security forces in Kuli Almas area of Balochistan. He also prayed for the earliest recovery of the injured officials.
In a message issued here, Shehbaz extended heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family and said that Col Sohail had sacrificed his life for the peaceful future of the nation and his sacrifice would never be forgotten.
“Armed forces of Pakistan, the police, security agencies and ordinary citizens have rendered invaluable sacrifices in the war against terrorism and their sacrifices will not be wasted,” he said.
In a separate message on Palestine Solidarity Day, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Israeli army had exhibited worst cruelty and barbarity against the unarmed Palestinian citizens and grossly violated human rights by indiscriminate firing and bombardment at the civilians.
“Pakistan strongly condemns Israel’s brutality,” he said and added that there was no justification of cruelties against Palestinians by the Israeli army and the international community should move forward to put an end to barbarism.
“The Pakistani government and people assure the Palestinians that cooperation would be continued with them at every level,” said the chief minister.
