Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Tuesday hit out at his political opponents, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and the senior leadership of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), claiming that the people would disown other parties in the upcoming general elections.

Addressing a public gathering in Lodhran after laying the foundation stone of 98km-long Lodhran-Khanewal Road, the chief minister said that loud cheers in shape of public support were a proof of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s rising popularity in the country.

The chief minister said that PTI chairman Imran Khan used to refer to the Metro Bus as a ‘jangla bus’ but now the cricketer-turned-politician had announced the same bus service in Peshawar. He also slammed the PTI chief for not supporting the Pakistan Super League final match, which was held in Lahore. “Imran was a renowned cricketer during his time. However, when the PSL final was held in Lahore, he opposed it.”

In an indirect reference to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, he said: “The head of a political party had said that he would clean Punjab. Punjab is your home… you can come here any time you want. But before you come here, pick up the trash from Karachi.”

He said several prime minister and governors were elected from southern Punjab, but they did nothing for development of southern Punjab.

The chief minister announced a special uplift package of Rs 25 billion for Lodhran district. He also announced provision of 20 air-conditioned buses for Lodhran. He said that the provision of potable water to people was being started from 37 tehsils of southern Punjab. He added that sub-campus of the agriculture university would be established in Lodhran. He said that 30km-long Lodhran-Karorpaka Road would be constructed with a total outlay of Rs 600 million. Shehbaz Sharif also announced construction of 18km-long road from Dunyapur to Melsi.

He claimed that by the end of this year, the prime minister’s promise of ending the load-shedding would come true. “Billions of rupees are being invested in electricity projects,” he said, adding that the Punjab government had established several power projects in the areas where there were deserts and forests.

Meanwhile, the chief minister Tuesday inaugurated an e-Rozgar training programme at the Irfa Kareem Software Technology Park.

Under the programme, 40 e-Rozgar centres have been set up in 36 districts, where youngsters will be given three-month training.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of e-Rozgar programme, the chief minister said the government had started several programmes for development and the economic empowerment of youth.

He said Information Technology University Vice Chancellor Dr Umer Saif laid the foundation of the e-Rozgar programme about three years ago, and thousands young girls and boys got respectable jobs after getting training from these centres.

Separately, Shahbaz Tuesday presided over a high-level meeting in which progress on improvement of healthcare system, and provision of better medical facilities to the people was discussed.

The chief minister gave approval for purchase of incinerators for 36 districts.

The chief minister said that speedy measures were being taken to provide better healthcare facilities to the people.

The Punjab government, he said, was establishing a modern warehouse to store medicines. He said that effective measures were being taken for infection control in hospitals. “With the installation of incinerators, hospital waste will be discarded in an effective manner and private hospitals will be made duty-bound to dump their waste properly,” he added.

Provincial minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Dr Umer Saif, finance secretary, Punjab Healthcare Commission commissioner, Punjab Forensic Science Agency director general, primary and secondary health secretary, and other officials concerned were also present on the occasion.