LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif presided over a high-level meeting at the site-office of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train adjacent to the University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, to review progress on construction work of the project. On the occasion, the Chief Minister was given briefing about the progress of the project. Addressing the meeting at the site-office, the Chief Minister congratulated the whole team on the permission of the Supreme Court to carry on the project and said that it is the result of their collective efforts. He said the huge delay of 22 months has been occurred in this project and added that Tehreek-e-Insaf is responsible for the delay in this gigantic project of public interest. The conscious people will hold the PTI accountable for it; he said and added that the political elements that created hurdles in this great project will be held accountable by the masses. He lamented that the PTI has given priority to personal interest over the public interest. He said the project has been restarted with the grace of Almighty Allah. Such occasions occur in life but we have to continue our work with tolerance, patience and persistence and it is the opportunity to show something to the nation. You all should burn the midnight oil and strive for early completion of the project. You should double and triple your efforts so as to compensate the delay. He said that success will be achieved if work is done 25 hours a day and every moment is utilized. If we work harder, then Almighty Allah shall also support us, he added. The Chief Minister said that Orange Line Metro Train is project of the whole nation. This initiative shall provide economical, honorable and cheap transport facilities to the laymen. He congratulated the Pakistani nation, the people of Punjab and especially the Lahoris and assured that this project will be completed with renewed commitment and passion. He said that sooner this project is completed, the more laymen will be benefited and added that he will regularly monitor the progress of the project. He said the directions of the Supreme Court with regard to the project will be fully abided by adding that a special fund will be established for the protection of historical buildings. The Chief Minister directed that a best plan of alternate traffic be designed before the start of work on GPO Chowk at Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam and added that this alternate traffic scheme should be devised in consultation with the experts. The citizens should face lesser difficulties in case of closer of traffic and alternate traffic plan should be effectively projected so that the people could know about the substitute routes. We would strive to complete this project as soon as possible so as to provide an honorable mean of transport to the citizens, he added. Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Spokesman Punjab government Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, Advocate General Punjab, senior lawyer Shahid Hamid, MD Punjab Mass Transit Authority, DG LDA, Commissioner Lahore Division and others attended the meeting. Separately, Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan Muslim League-N has always done the politics of norms. We have given priority to the agenda of public service and national development in every tenure and wonderful records have been set in these fields. Unlike the past rulers who were used to of making false promises and hollow claims, we have made practical steps for the development of every sector. The genie of load shedding has been controlled and the world is astonished over the completion of energy projects in a record period of time. We have also fulfilled the promise of relieving the country of the energy crisis and shall move further with the same zeal for the development of the country. He expressed these views while talking to members of the assembly who called on him. He said that best utilization of the resources has been ensured as resources are a sacred trust of the people and added that every sort of resources is being utilized for the welfare of the people. Different steps including transparent development projects and public welfare schemes are a self-depicting proof of it. He said that transparency and merit-based policies have been adopted in the province and the billions of rupees, which have been saved through different measures, are being utilized on providing basic facilities to the people. The passion, with which load shedding has been overcome by the government, is being utilized in other sectors. The Chief Minister said that PML-N lives in the hearts of the people because of its record of public service and different steps have been taken for the development of the country and added that there is nothing important than the service to the people. We have always served the masses and shall continue to do so. He said that the whole nation should stand united to face the challenges and collective efforts are needed for national development and prosperity of the people. With the power of the unity, Pakistan can achieve pinnacles of glory in the comity of the nations. He said the politics of falsehood of the political jugglers has come to an end and the people shall clean sweep the elements in the next elections who have wasted precious time of the nation and made false claims. Those who called on the Chief Minister included Members of the National Assembly Imtiaz Ahmed and Chaudhry Tufail. Published in Daily Times, December 12th 2017.