Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi appealed to the nation on Monday to contribute to establishing a polio-free society. In his message on the world polio day, he said that polio continues to challenge lives by crippling children. “Today, we pledge to eradicate this disease fully from the province and the country,” he said. The CM said parents were requested to give their children anti-polio drops to protect them from the dangerous disease. He said: “I salute the polio workers working as vanguards in this war. Disability is very painful but it could be avoided through polio vaccination.” The CM noted that the fight against polio was the battle for the future of the nation’s youth. The special campaign to eradicate polio was started Monday in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Khushab, Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Layyah, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur. This campaign would continue for seven days in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad and it would be run for five days in other districts, he added. Giving further details, he said that more than 97,000 workers would administer anti-polio drops to 11.18 million children under five years of age. No polio case has been reported in Punjab for a long time, while its virus has been found in the environment of big cities including Lahore and Rawalpindi. The presence of the polio virus is a warning to parents to give their children two doses of the anti-polio vaccine during each campaign, he concluded. Meanwhile, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey called on Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at his office and discussed matters of mutual interest. It was agreed to further promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, tourism, protection of historical places and information technology. The chief minister said that excellent friendly relations exist between Pakistan and France and thanked the ambassador for French assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. He said there was need to promote trade and economic relations between the two countries on a sustainable basis. Some French companies were working in Punjab and the province has a very favorable environment for investment, he added. The French investors should take advantage of investment opportunities in Punjab; they would be provided with all possible facilities, the chief minister promised. It was possible to increase bilateral trade by exchanging trade delegations and the delegation of French educational institutions would be welcomed in Punjab, the CM added and disclosed that he took admission to the French cultural centre in Lahore to learn the French language in the 1970s. The French ambassador said that a delegation of French educational institutions would visit Punjab soon. The French government would continue to cooperate with the Punjab government for protection of tourism and historical places and this cooperation would be further promoted. Meanwhile, Pervaiz Elahi congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his being elected for the third time. In a statement, the CM said election of President Xi Jinping for the third time was an expression of the full confidence of the people of China in him. “This unique honor is an acknowledgment of his devoted services to the nation, he said and noted that Xi Jinping is a sincere friend of Pakistan as well as an eminent world leader,” he said. “The Chinese president’s ideology is based on high human values and broad thinking of public interest. Under his leadership, China made great development at very fast pace. He also laid the foundation for a secure future through the avant-garde belt and road project,” he said. Meanwhile, Pervaiz Elahi appointed Rai Mansab Ali Khan as Chairman CM Complaint Cell (South Punjab) and Makhdoom Altaf Babar as coordinator to chairman CM Complaint Cell Punjab. He gave notifications to them at his office during a meeting as both thanked the CM for assigning the responsibility. The CM said that joint efforts were needed to resolve the public problems at their doorsteps. The provincial government was serving to resolve the problems of every area, he concluded.