Daily Times

Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi presided over 6th provincial cabinet meeting at CM Office today in which special prayer was made for the martyrs of APS Peshawar and rich tributes were paid to the great sacrifice of the martyrs. The Punjab cabinet accorded principle approval to complete the underground Masstransit system for Lahore and approval was also granted to incorporate underground blue-line and purple-line and Masstransit project in the Annual Development Programme. Approval was also accorded during the meeting to decrease 50 percent in the unit rates of ownership rights for giving land to the landless farmers in Cholistan. The landless farmers of Cholistan and agriculture will be greatly benefitted with this step of the Punjab government. Approval was also granted to grant exemption value-added tax for the ambassadors and consulates.

The CM Parvez Elahi stated that he did not want to ruin Lahore like Shehbaz Sharif and would introduce the underground train system. Blue-line, Purple-line and Masstransit project will be launched with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank adding that this project will be built on BOT basis and not a single penny of Punjab government will be spent on it. Underground Masstransit system will be built from Valencia to Kalma Chowk, Liberty Chowk, Data Darbar up to Airport. 8 big stations of the Orange Line will also be developed. The cabinet also granted approval to the P&D Board and Transport Department to hold negotiations for getting technical assistance and financing with the Asian Development Bank.

The Punjab cabinet accorded approval to make inductions in the health department from grade 5 to grade 15 and make contract inductions in the PKLI Lahore. Principle decision was also taken to induct teachers on 600 vacant posts in order to fulfil shortage of teachers in colleges. The cabinet also accorded approval to lift the ban on making inductions in Government College University Faisalabad. Approval was also accorded to provide cancer treatment facilities in Children Hospital Lahore along with hospitals of Faisalabad and Gujrat. Approval was also granted during the cabinet meeting to introduce latest ever cancer treatment cyber knife technology and introduced Linear Accelerator for cancer treatment in the for the hospitals of Gujrat and Faisalabad and Children Hospital Lahore. The chief minister apprised that a cardiology hospital will be established in Sargodha and the number of beds will be increased in the Faisalabad cardiology hospital.

The Punjab cabinet also accorded approval to establish a new tehsil Wohwa in the new district Taunsa. 207 KM road will be constructed from Chichawatini, Rojhana, Pir Mahal, Chowk Azam, Layyah up to Taunsa. 103 KM road will be constructed from M-4 Chiraghanbad, Jhang Bypass up to Shorkot. A 75 KM long road will be built from Depalpur to Pakpattan. 150 KM road will be built from Dipalpur, Pakpattan to Vehari. Approval was also accorded to enhance the wages of staff members under the social security scheme. Approval was accorded to grant administrative and financial autonomy to Aitcheson college and Lawrence college under the Punjab Educational Institutional (Reconstitution) Act 2021 and Approval was granted for the renewal of agreement with the Pakistan Air Force for THQ Hospital Fort Munro district DG Khan. Approval was also granted to make an amendment in the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service (condition of service) rules 2007 for the promotion of Assistant District Public Prosecutors. Approval was granted for making amendments in the Punjab Sentencing Act 2019 and the limit of minimum punishment was fixed. Approval was also granted for the revaluation of salary and allowances for the officers and staff members of Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority. Approval was granted to extend the contract period up to six months for the 15 workers working on the project in the Energy Department. Approval was granted to appoint Muhammay Yar Wilana for the post of president LDA tribunal.

The Chief Minister directed that daily hearing of pending cases in the LDA should be made and should be decided at the earliest. Approval was granted for amendment in the rules and regulations for the appointment of member technical in Punjab Environmental Tribunal. Approval was also granted to make an amendment in the registration and control ordinance 1961 in the Volunteers Social Welfare Agency. Approval was also granted to allot additional charge of CEO of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC).

Financial Approval was granted for the family members of volunteer martyred Muhammad Siddique of Lodhran, for the bone marrow transplant treatment of a 2-years old female child and for Saima Tabassum widow of Akhtar Rasool Late, data Entry Operator of S&GAD. Approval was granted during the meeting for the audit report on the accounts of public sector enterprises for the year 2021-22, the audit reports of the Provincial Zakat Fund and the District Zakat Committees for the year 2020-21 and the audit reports of the Climatic Change Environment and Disaster Management Organization Punjab for the year 2020-21 and 2021-22. Approval was granted during the meeting for the annual report of Punjab Examination Commission Lahore for the financial year 2017-18, the annual report of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board for the financial year 2020-21 and the annual performance report of the Punjab Daanish Schools and Centers of Excellence Authority for the year 2020-21. Approved was granted to allot the authority for petrol pumps and explosion licensing to the provincial government. Senior Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Provincial Ministers, Advisers, Special Assistants, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and senior officials attended the meeting. Provincial Ministers Raja Basharat, Hashim Dogar, Dr. Akhtar Malik attended the meeting via video link.

Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has said that the whole nation salutes the eternal sacrifices of APS martyrs.

In his message, the CM said that martyrs of APS Peshawar united the nation against terrorism. December 16 would continue to remind the sacrifice of martyrs of Army Public School; he stated and added that the nation will always remember the sacrifice of the students and teachers. The foundation for a safe and peaceful Pakistan has been laid by the blood of innocent children who sacrificed their precious lives for a great cause. The great sacrifices of martyred children gave the nation new courage and determination, he maintained and added that the martyred students and teachers are the heroes of the entire nation. The nation expresses complete solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs of APS and pays homage to the martyrs of Army Public School Peshawar, he concluded.

A delegation led by Provincial Minister Khurram Shahzad Virk met Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi at his office and discussed matters of mutual interest.

The delegation was comprised of former president PML-Q (youth wing) Sheikhupura Waqas Haider Virk, SVP of Insaf Lawyers Forum Ramiz Virk, tehsil vice president Faizan Maan, Raza Farooq Wahla and Tanveer Ahsan Virk.

The CM reiterated that Imran Khan’s decision about the Punjab assembly will be final. The prime minister of 27 kilometers is trembling while thinking about Imran Khan’s decision. The so-called economy experts are shying away from the public as people will treat the 13-party bungling cabal in a way that they will always remember, the CM said. Meanwhile, the incumbent Punjab govt is fulfilling the agenda of public service, he added. Though N-League leadership was an expert in deception and falsehoods but couldn’t manage the sagging economy. The 13 party cabal has miserably failed to manage the national economy, he stressed. The chief minister also condemned the withholding of Punjab’s 170 billion rupees by the federal government. Alongside this, the federal government showed open hostility towards the farming community of Punjab on the issue of the Greater Thal Canal, he lamented.

Khurram Shahzad Virk appreciated that Parvez Elahi delivered fast. The 13 parties cabal faced defeats in the by-elections and would also be defeated in the general elections, he added.