Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that we have selflessly served the masses while some political elements have opposed the process of development of the people.

“The proofs of our genuine public service and so-called claims of the opponents are evident before the people. The leader of a political party has promoted the politics of deceit, hypocrisy and allegations and the claimants of change have perhaps believed that a frequent change in their viewpoint is the ‘change’. We have brought revolution in health, education and social sectors in the real sense.”

He was talking to the members of the Punjab Assembly belonging to different districts who called on him on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that politics is the name of public service and this service is done through passion. The life and death of the leadership of Muslim League-N is with the people. We have earned good repute in public service while the leader of a political party has earned disrepute due to mendacity and allegations leveling. The opposition of development projects aiming at providing services to the people will prove fatal for such elements, as the people will hold accountability of opponents of development in the next elections. The politics of falsehood, hypocrisy and allegations will be defeated in the election of 2018. The MPAs who called on the Chief Minister included Khurram Abbas Sial, Muhammad Asif Bajwa, Sardar Qaiser Abbas Khan Magsi and Mian Marghoob.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif went to the residence of late Gen (r) Khalid Shameem Wynne, former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee at Lahore Cantt. He offered Fateha for the departed soul and extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family. He also paid tributes to the services of late Khalid Shameem Wynne for the armed forces of Pakistan and said that he was a brave and dutiful officer who always performed his duties very diligently.

Shehbaz Sharif also visited the residence of late Malik Nadeem Awan, Chairman Union Council of Pakistan Muslim League-N, at Awan Market Ferozepur Road. The Chief Minister expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the death of Malik Nadeem Awan with his family and offered Fateha for the departed soul. He paid tributes to socio-political services of late Malik Nadeem Awan and said that he was senior worker of the party and his services for the area will not be forgotten.

Separately, a high-level meeting was held with Shehbaz Sharif in the chair to review the situation arising due to the outbreak of seasonal influenza in Multan and adoption of different steps to overcome the disease. Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that emergent steps should be adopted to save the citizens from this disease and work should be done on war-footing. He added that line departments should perform their duties proactively and awareness campaign be initiated about safety from the seasonal influenza and adoption of precautionary measures. He directed to constitute a committee for timely eradication and safety from this disease in future and added that this committee will constitute its medium and long-term strategy. It is the duty of concerned agencies to save the citizens from this disease and observed that there is no room for any leniency and the government departments will have to perform their duties very actively. Provincial Ministers Kh. Salman Rafique, Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bhart, Chief Secretary, medical experts and concerned officials participated the meeting while Provincial Minister Kh. Imran Nazir, Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education, Secretary Primary & Secondary Healthcare, Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Multan along with other officials, Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur along with concerned officials and DG Health Services attended the meeting through video link.

The CM chaired another meeting to review progress on installation of solar panels in schools under the “Khadim-e-Punjab Ujala Program.” Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said the program of providing light to schools through solar panels is a beneficial investment for the bright future of the country and directed that this program should be expedited speedily keeping in view its importance. Under this program, solar panels will be installed in more than 20 thousand schools across the province and this would ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to the schools. In the first phase, more than ten thousand schools in southern Punjab will be illuminated through solar panels. He maintained that provision of conducive educational atmosphere to the students is our priority and for that purpose, it has been decided to provide solar energy to the schools to facilitate the students. Khadim-e-Punjab Ujala Program shall prove beneficial in providing best educational atmosphere to the students and alongside other initiatives of the Punjab government, this program shall also be an example of its own with regard to quality and transparency.

Published in Daily Times, December 4th 2017.