Daily Times

LAHORE: British Home Secretary Sajid Javed called on Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office on Tuesday.

During the meeting, it was agreed to further promote cooperation in health and education sectors and rule of law programme. Sajid Javed congratulated Punjab CM Sardar Usman Buzdar on his new assignment and extended good wishes to him.

Talking on the occasion, the Punjab chief minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has laid the foundation of a new Pakistan and the journey of change has started from Punjab where a Member of Provincial Assembly belonging to a remote deprived area has been made the Punjab CM.

“Pakistan and the United Kingdom are strong partners in the journey of development and prosperity and unique programmes have been initiated in health, education and other sectors in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID). The Punjab government intends to expand these programmes so that more and more people could benefit from their fruit,” he added.

The Punjab government appreciates British cooperation and “we are expecting to bring further improvements in different sectors of life in future with the cooperation of UK”.

He said that continuous work is being done to introduce necessary improvements in health, education, infrastructural development and other sectors and people are being served in an organised manner by the government. While talking about the unprecedented sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war against terrorism, the CM said that thousands of precious human lives have been sacrificed in this war and the human history is unable to present any such example.

“The political and military leadership is reaping achievements in this war in unison,” he said appreciating the British cooperation under rule of law programme and hoped that this partnership would be further expanded in the days to come.

Javed expressed satisfaction that the Punjab government is working hard for public welfare adding that British government wants to further promote its bilateral cooperation with Punjab government in future. We will work collectively to promote opportunities relating to business, education and development targets, he added. Pakistan has achieved wonderful successes in war against terrorism and terror and fanaticism are collective challenges to all of us. It is sanguine that terrorism incidents have decreased in Pakistan, he added.

Javed said that his parents belonged to Sahiwal and he has a special relationship with Pakistan despite being a British citizen. British High Commissioner Thomas Drew, DFID Head Joanna Reid and other high officials were present on the occasion. Senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan, provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Yasmin Rashid, Murad Raas, Chaudhary Zaheeruddin, Yasir Humayun, Ashfa Riaz, chief secretary and planning & development chairman were also present in the meeting.

Pakistan Navy Central Punjab Commander Rear Admiral Naveed Ahmed Rizvi also called on Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office.

During the meeting, various matters of mutual interest and professional activities of Pakistan Navy came under discussion. The CM paid tributes to Pakistan Navy for discharging the duty of safeguarding naval boundaries and said that Pakistan Navy is the best naval force of the region having professional competence.

“The bravery of Pakistan Navy is praiseworthy and it is protecting the naval boundaries with full courage and bravery,” concluded the CM.

Usman Buzdar issued directions to the health department authorities to immediately repair the dysfunctional Computed Tomography scan machine in a teaching hospital of Dera Ghazi Khan.

He directed to probe into the matter and action should be initiated against the persons responsible for negligence.

“Patients should be provided all possible facilities in the hospitals,” concluded the CM.

Published in Daily Times, September 19^th 2018.