Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has expressed concern over the non-payment of Rs.146 billion to Punjab province by the federal government and regretted that the federal government has blocked legal and constitutionally-binding dues of Punjab province. While presiding over a meeting about the development, the CM made it clear that the federal government has not given anything to Punjab from the aid given to flood affectees. The federal government has not released the share for the construction of houses for flood victims; he added and pointed out that rehabilitation activities could also be hampered. Similarly, he noted that different projects could be compromised because of the stoppage of Rs.146 billion. The CM stressed that the Punjab government was striving hard to provide free medicines and other facilities to the patients and hospitals’ completion work could also be affected due to the non-release of dues from the centre as the federal government created hurdles by stopping the share of Punjab. He pointed out that thousands of kilometres long dilapidated roads in Punjab need immediate repair and rehabilitation but the funds meant for Punjab have been intentionally stopped so that the province could be ruined because of the stoppage of development work. In fact, the stoppage of funds for an important federating unit like Punjab is a negation of the concept of national unity and cohesion, the CM said. The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, chief secretary, secretary C&W and others. Meanwhile, a delegation of supreme court lawyers led by Sen. Barrister Ali Zafar, Abid Zubairi and Imtiaz Rashid Siddiqui called on Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi at his office and discussed different matters. Former federal minister Moonis Elahi, Advisor Amer Saeed Raan, and Hasaan Niazi Advocate were also present. The CM announced that lawyers’ colonies would be established in every tehsil and district of the province adding that lawyers and their families would also be provided free medical facilities equal to gazetted officers. He also announced the restoration of the public defender act without any delay and added that around 1500 lawyers would be accommodated through this Act. The CM announced the construction of a parking plaza near the Shah Chirag building and a service structure for the public prosecution department. Parvez Elahi further announced the repair of the Punjab Bar Council and hostel buildings and cited that the PBC building was completed in his last tenure. I have always prioritized the welfare of the legal fraternity and issues of supreme court lawyers would be resolved on a priority basis; the CM declared and added that practical work would be visible in the next few days while his doors are always open to the lawyers’ community. Amir Saeed Raan mentioned that the design of the parking plaza was approved in 2017-18. Ali Zafar and others thanked the CM for the solution to their problems and noted that the work done by Parvez Elahi in his last tenure is still remembered by the people. You have done a lot of work in a short period, they further said. Jahangir Jhoja, Arshad Jehangir Jhoja, Asif Cheema, Manzoor Warraich, Saqib Gondal, Sardar Tariq, Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, Basharat Gul, Muhammad Jehanzeb, Rana Zulfiqar, Nadir Dogal, Mukhtar Ranjha, Safdar Bosal, Ch. Munawar, Ameer Abbas, Waheed Raja, Agha Usma, Sahibzada Amjad Nawaz, Shamshad Malhi, Mudassar Warraich, Muhammad Nawaz and others were included in the delegation. CM message on World Tourism Day: Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi said that Pakistan has an abundance of beautiful places, tourist spots and places of religious importance. In his message, the CM added that tourist spots of Punjab are attractive to tourists and added that the tourism sector not only promotes local culture but also strengthens the national economy while creating job opportunities. He said that the purpose of celebrating this day is to promote tourism culture in the province as the motto of world tourism day-2022 is ‘rethinking tourism.’ New tourist spots were being introduced along with the provision of facilities as the tourism sector is an important source to earn foreign exchange. We should also commit that the rewards of economic development would be devolved to the impecunious strata at the grassroots by promoting tourism in the country, he concluded.