Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the scope of development and welfare projects in Punjab should be expanded besides accelerating the pace of implementation work on these projects.

He was talking to Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar during a meeting, Overall situation in the province including law and order and provision of better facilities to the people came under discussion.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday visited the residence of late Minister for Narcotics Control Sardar Ali Muhammad Khan Mahar in Ghotki and offered condolence with the bereaved family.

He offered fateha for the departed soul and condoled with the deceased’s brothers Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar and Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar and son Sardar Ahmed Ali Khan Mahar, according to a Prime Minister Office statement issued here.

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, federal ministers Dr Fehmida Mirza and Muhammadmian Soomro, and Member National Assembly Ghous Bux Khan Mahar were present. Sardar Ali Muhammad Khan Mahar, who died on May 21, due to cardiac arrest, also served as Sindh Chief Minister from 2002 to 2004. Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said real joy lies in serving the masses – an act that leads to a life filled with contentment.

The prime minister quoted Lebanese-American philosopher and poet Khalil Gibran: “I slept and dreamed that the life is full of joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy.”

“Those who discover and get to understand the wisdom of Gibran’s words, get to live a life of contentment,” the prime minister posted on Twitter, referring to Gibran, the author of literary classics including ‘The Prophet’ and ‘Broken Wings’.

The prime minister’s post drew attention of Twitterati as a few confused it with the quotation of Bengali prose-writer Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore’s actual quote, however, read as: “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy”, with use of additional words ‘acted and behold’, in clear difference with Gibran’s quotation. Paulo Coelho, 71, the Brazilian author known for his best-seller novel ‘Alchemist’ and the frequent inspirational quotes about life has also used the same frame as used by Gibran and Tagore, but with altering words ‘happiness’ with ‘joy’ and ‘duty’ with ‘service’. “I fell asleep and dreamed that life was only Happiness. I woke and discovered that life was Duty. I did my Duty and discovered that life was Happiness,” Coelho said. The close relation between service and joy inspired the three renowned writers of their times – and of course many others in the world, including political leaders with passion to serve the masses.