Daily Times

LAHORE: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Dr Hassan Askari presided over the provincial cabinet meeting, on Tuesday at the Chief Minister’s Office.

The meeting gave approval to four month budget of the fiscal year 2018-19 and also to the proposal of a 10 percent increase in the salaries of government employees besides approving to review the house rent. The meeting also gave approval to a 10 percent increase in the pension of retired government employees. Caretaker government gave approval to the development budget for four months for the new fiscal year 2018-19. The meeting also approved the estimates of recurring expenditures of four month of the upcoming fiscal year.

Addressing the meeting, Caretaker Punjab CM Dr Hassan Askari said that caretaker government has presented four month budget for the year 2018-19 adding that this budget has been presented in accordance with the constitutional requirements. He said that the government has made an effort to provide necessary relief to the people while remaining within the limited mandate and constitutional responsibilities. Funds for education, healthcare, agriculture and social sectors have been increased, he said.

“We have to serve the people of the province while remaining within the mandate,” he further said. All the decisions are being made with the consultation of the cabinet and today’s budget has been approved with consensus. Performance of Punjab Revenue Authority was appreciated in the meeting. Earlier, Secretary Finance gave the briefing about the salient features of new fiscal year’s budget.

Provincial ministers, chief secretary, inspector general of police and senior officials attended the meeting.

Separately, Acting Consul General of China in Lahore Wang Daxue called on Dr Hassan Askari at the CM’s Office on Tuesday.

Different matters of mutual interest including promotion of Pak-China relations and China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects were discussed in the meeting.

Talking on the occasion, the caretaker chief minister said that Pak-China friendship is a bright example of peace, mutual love, cooperation and sentiments of affections adding that this friendship has fulfilled every test of time.

“In fact, China is a trustworthy friend of Pakistan and Chinese leadership has always cooperated with Pakistan during difficult times,” he said adding that hearts of people of both the countries beat together.

China does not impose any condition for friendship as its friendship is based on the principle of “love-more.” That is why Pakistan China friendship has transformed into immortal relations and there is no example like Pakistan-China friendship in the present-day history of the world. We are proud over friendship with China, he said. He said the journey of brotherly relations between Pakistan and China comprised of many decades and the friendship between the two countries is an example of its own. He said that Pakistan and China are intertwined in a strong bond of mutual respect, love and affections. It is sanguine that Pakistan-China relations have now entered into an era of bilateral friendship; he said and added that people of Pakistan are proud over the trust and valuable economic cooperation of Chinese government. He said that friendship with China is a valuable asset for every Pakistani. He said that China has always stood like a solid rock on political and diplomatic fronts with Pakistan. Both Pakistan and China have a unanimous stance over various regional and international issues, he added. He said that CPEC has given new dimensions to the friendship between the two countries and it has raised the bilateral relations to new heights. He said that CPEC is the program of extraordinary development and progress which has altogether changed the economic-game of the region. Dr Askari said that Xi Jinping has given a wonderful vision of one belt-one road which is a best program for interlinking various regions.

Acting Consul General said that Pakistan-China friendship and bilateral economic cooperation is growing with every passage of time and China is standing beside Pakistan in its journey of progress and prosperity.

Published in Daily Times, June 27^th 2018.