LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz(PML-N) President and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said that Zardari-Imran nexus has been badly exposed during the recent elections for the Senate top slot. “This alliance is only meant for grabbing power, as public service is beyond their capacity. [Imran] Niazi has taken yet another U-turn by entering into alliance with Zardari. No matter how many alliances the opponents enter into, the PML-N will win the upcoming general elections on the basis of its performance,” he told Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, who called on him here. “There is no room for the politics of falsehood and mendacity. Liars should take pity on 220 people of Pakistan. Time to deceive people through hollow slogans is over,” Shehbaz said. “Leveling baseless allegations is no service to nation. Rather it weakens the very foundation of the country,” he added. The chief minister said that the PML-N government has served the people day and night. “Our work is before the people. The scope of public welfare programs will be spread across the country if PML-N got mandate in the next elections,” he said. Addressing a meeting held to review relief effort for the masses, the chief minister said that introduction of reforms in the system was need of the hour, adding that central point of these reforms should aim at providing immediate relief to the general public. During the meeting, different proposals and recommendations regarding prompt relief to the people and further improving the standard of civic amenities came under discussion. The chief minister said that transformation of present system is important to make it commensurate with the public aspirations. “We have to move further to give final shape to the proposals so that rapid relief could be provided to the people,” he said, and appreciated the committee for presenting feasible proposals. Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, famous lawyer Mustafa Ramday and relevant government officials attended the meeting from Model Town via video link. Former governor Shahid Hamid and Additional Advocate General Asma Hamid participated from Islamabad through video link. Provincial ombudsman, additional chief secretary, legal experts, department secretaries and other officials participated from the Civil Secretariat through video link. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari called on Shehbaz Sharif. Talking to him, the chief minister said the pace of development and prosperity will be further accelerated in southern Punjab. He said southern districts have been given their due rights by allocating more resources as compared to their population size. In every development program, the southern Punjab has been given 10 percent additional quota, he said. Stipend for girl students has been increased to Rs1,000 per month in public sector schools of southern Punjab, he added. Shehbaz lamented that the past governments used the slogan of southern Punjab province for their political purposes. “On the contrary, PML-N got resolutions approved from the Punjab Assembly for the establishment of southern Punjab province and restoration of defunct province of Bahawalpur. No other political party could dare this,” he said. The chief minister said that he served the people of southern Punjab during the floods of 2010 along with the elected representatives. “The past rulers did not solve the problems of the southern Punjab. Resources to the tune of billions of rupees have been utilized for the construction and restoration of rural roads and thousands of kilometers long carpeted roads have been constructed in the rural areas of the southern Punjab. In fact, steps taken by the incumbent government for the development and prosperity of southern Punjab have never been taken during the entire history of the country. I consider it as an obligation to serve the people of southern Punjab,”he said, and added that he has been personally supervising the welfareprograms of the southern Punjab districts. Separately, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident of burning of a woman in Begum Kot area of Lahore and sought report from the Punjab inspector general of police. Legal action should be initiated against the criminals and provision of justice be ensured to the affected family, he ordered. Published in Daily Times, April 26th 2018.