No decision on Basant so far: Sethi

Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi has said that caretaker government will ensure free, fair and impartial elections at any cost and no one will be allowed to create hurdles in this regard.

Sethi expressed these views while addressing a function of Old Ravians Union at the Oval Ground of Government College University Lahore. President Old Ravians Union Kamran Lashari, Honorary Secretary Dr Khalid Manzoor Butt, Vice President Mansoor Feroze Khan, Vice President for Women Kiran Khurshid, Government College University Vice Chancellor Dr Khaliq ur Rehman and a large number of Old Ravians were present on the occasion.

Sethi said that changes were being made in the bureaucracy and the police department to ensure transparent conduct of elections and officers from SHO up to provincial secretary level would be reshuffled. He said people were still facing uncertainty regarding elections and he promised that general elections will be held on time. He said that he has no political designs and did not want to stay in power for even one more day than was required. He said that clean, non-political and impartial ministers have been inducted in the Punjab cabinet.

He said that DPOs, RPOs, Commissioners and DCOs will also be transferred and the process of changes in administration and police will be completed within next few days. He said that Punjab government has taken no decision so far to celebrate Basant however consultations are being made in this regard. He said that provincial government will make no irresponsible or non-serious decision and the public interest will be held uppermost. He said that he believes that caretaker government can discharge its responsibilities with six ministers, therefore, more than one additional departments have been allocated to every minister so that governmental affairs could be run smoothly. He said that when he took over as caretaker chief minister, about two hundred persons gave their bio-data to him for appointment as ministers.

Sethi said that nepotism was an anathema to merit but it was also a fact that these social evils had taken roots in the society and people considered ‘safarish’ as their right and were irritated if it was not accepted. He said that he had made it clear on the very first day of his appointment that as long as he was caretaker chief minister he had no friend or relative. He said that Punjab government has no shortage of funds and all out measures will be adopted within available resources to bring improvement in the life of poor and deserving people. He said that caretaker Punjab government was performing its duties efficiently however it was not supposed to formulate policies but only to conduct elections.

Sethi added that he had a deep affiliation with Government College University Lahore as he was only fifteen when he got admission in the college. He said the college had totally changed his life as it was not merely a college but a complete institution. He said that memories of the able teachers of the college and its campus were still fresh in his mind.

The chief minister said that what he learnt at the college during his student life has helped him a lot in his practical life. He said that he was of the view that more projects like metro bus should be launched.