LAHORE – Owing to heightened security even the PML-N workers were denied access to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and were maltreated during a function held in connection with Quaid’s birth anniversary at Alhamra on Saturday.
This event was held under the aegis of Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust and Azad Kashmir President Raja Zulqarnain, MNAs, MPAs, prominent journalists, intellectuals, columnists and a large number of people from different walks of life attended the function. When the CM was about to leave the hall, after finishing his speech, a party women worker, Aisha Hameed along with other people tried to approach him.
The security guards pushed her away; she fell on the stairs and rolled all the way down. CM was in a hurry and left for another function. Talking to Pakistan Today, the injured woman said that earlier, owing to a broken arm, she had implanted iron rods, which broke when she fell. She said that her mother was a heart patient and she tried to reach the CM to seek monetary aid of Rs 0.4 million for the treatment.
Earlier, during his address, CM said that people had no concern with a democracy in which hard earned money of the poor were looted and even the pilgrims were not spared, while the people ran from pillar to post for seeking justice. He said the country could not be transformed in accordance with the ideals of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal without the supremacy of justice, elimination of plundering, corruption and bridging the gap between rich and poor.
He said that Quaid had declared Kashmir as Pakistan’s lifeline, which could only be made a part of Pakistan after the country established itself as self-sufficient and independent of foreign aid. CM said Pakistan was achieved after numerous sacrifices and Muslims from Chittagong to Karachi gathered under Quaid’s leadership.
Muslims sacrificed their lives and people had to face atrocities of Hindus and Sikhs during migration from India, he added. He said these sacrifices were made for getting a piece of land where justice may prevail and equal opportunities of progress could be provided but despite a lapse of 63 years this was not achieved.
He said citizens took part for the dictatorship’s removal and democracy’s restoration but plundering still existed under democracy’s cover. He said billions of rupees were looted and transferred to Dubai during Musharraf’s era and machines worth billion of rupees were imported for rural and basic health centres during the previous regime but the facilities were not provided.
He said Punjab government was utilizing resources in a transparent manner for the welfare of the people and was providing educational and health facilities. He said the academic position-holders and teachers were also being encouraged, while the Punjab government had imported mobile health units for providing modern health facilities to the people at their doorstep.
The first mobile health unit was being inaugurated in Muzaffargar on Saturday, he said. He said besides free medicines to the people, free dialysis facility had also been provided to kidney patients. He said Punjab government had promoted the culture of austerity and one-dish programme was being implemented. He said sugar use had also been prohibited in government offices and he himself and his colleagues bear all expenses of foreign tours.
Shahbaz said that no nation relying on foreign aid could progress. He said Pakistan had become an atomic power but still required foreign aid. He said hard-work, honesty and passion was to required to make Pakistan independent and consequently join the ranks of dignified nations.
