Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the government of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has eliminated the 70-year-old culture of recommendations and nepotism and promoted merit in every sector.

Addressing the students going to Turkey under a Turkish language scholarship programme, the chief minister on Thursday said, “You are bright stars who have been selected to learn Turkish language from the University of Istanbul. This university has developed many a world-renowned scholars. You are expected to work hard because hard work is a key to success.”

Shehbaz said that as much as 150,000 teachers had been recruited purely on merit in the province. Similarly, the recruitment from constable to the officer level had been made on hundred percent merit in the police department, he said, adding that meritocracy should be the norm. “The adoption of merit policy is a big service to the people of Punjab and strict action has been taken against the responsible persons if any complaint of violation of merit was found anywhere. In the history of the country, a delegation of 30 students is being sent to Turkey for learning Turkish language and these students have been selected purely on merit. The students going to Turkey are ambassadors of country and they should bring laurels home with their exemplary performance and behaviour.”

The CM said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoy close, brotherly relations and the both had been standing side by side in every hour of trail. “The relations based on mutual love and respect exist between the people of both the countries and their hearts beat jointly. We are proud of the friendship of Turkey, as it has vociferously sided with Pakistan in difficult situations. Pakistan and Turkey are conjoined twins, and friendship and economic relations are growing between the two countries.”

He said that a number of Turkish companies had been investing in Punjab and the collaboration between Punjab government and Turkish companies is increasing. “Therefore, it is important for Pakistani youth to learn the Turkish language.” He said that provincial education minister, chief secretary, ACS, secretaries of Education Departments, vice chancellor and the whole team deserved accolades for selection of students purely on merit.

He said that South Asia’s best forensic science lab had been set up in Punjab and talented experts were selected on merit for this lab. “The judges of the apex courts have also visited this lab. Cases are referred to this lab not only from all the provinces of Pakistan but from other countries as well. Talented experts work in this lab and a system of transparency and complete secrecy has been ensured.”

The CM said that this wonderful forensic lab had made the 20 crore people of Pakistan feel proud. “Similarly, state-of-the-art drug testing labs have also been established and I can say without any fear of contradiction that all the staff has been employed purely on merit. It was recommended to retain the old staff in this lab but I rejected it and said that if the same staff is arranged then the lab would be ruined and I would not tolerate if people die due to these labs and because of spurious drugs.”

He said that during the previous year, samples of purchased medicines were got tested from these labs and 99 percent samples were termed as genuine, as these labs had colluded with the mafia; while 33 percent samples were rejected and termed as substandard by foreign labs. He said that the elements involved in spurious drugs were traders of death and murderers of humanity. “The government is committed to eliminating fake and spurious drugs from the province. That is why the samples of drugs were not got checked from any archaic labs because they were untrustworthy. These old-age labs are death cells and this business has been in vogue for the last 70 years. I have been fighting with this mafia for the last nine years. There is no shame in adopting new knowledge or skills.”

Published in Daily Times, August 18^th 2017.