BAHAWALPUR - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent ‘jabbering out’ about new provinces was aimed at hoodwinking the masses as the reference sent for the creation of two provinces in Punjab was totally baseless and invalid. It was merely an eye-wash and this reference has no valid grounds as the creation of Bahawalpur province needs no committee as it can be created through an executive order.
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It is to be noted that the electricity loadshedding has made life miserable for public and ruined the business activities in Punjab, especially in the south Punjab.
The Punjab chief minister suggested that the situation could improve to great extent if the government paid half of the outstanding payment (around Rs200 billion) of the electricity generation companies. The federal government owes around Rs400 billion in circular debts to the power generation companies.
Shahbaz Sharif remarked that the federal government had never taken the power crisis serious and all proposals and schemes were put on back burner which could have help reduced the energy crisis. The rulers have nothing to do with the public problems and welfare because their foremost priority is loot of public money and amassing it in foreign banks,” the chief minister criticised.
Shahbaz Sharif reaffirmed his party’s pledge to stand up for justice and fair treatment at all level and resist the wrong moves of the PPP-led federal government. “We want an equal power loadshedding formula across the country but Asif Zardari has been meting out step-motherly treatment to Punjab,” the chief minister alleged and vowed to continue protest against the “injustice” till the resolution of the issue.
He alleged that the ‘band of thieves, looters and dacoits’ had been involved in corruption and looting of national resources at will to destroy the image and economy of the country. The Punjab CM claimed that billions of rupees had been usurped on the pretext of fertilizers import, adding that fertilizer bag worth Rs700 was being sold at the inflated rate of Rs1,700 in the market which stood testimony to the public-friendly policies of the corrupt rulers. “As a such situation will totally destroy the agriculture sector which is the backbone of the economy while the growers are already short of irrigation water,” he argued.
Shahbaz Sharif stated that he would continue his struggle against the corrupt rulers and raising voice for the national cause. It will be better for the President to bring back $60 million Dollars amount deposited in the foreign accounts besides the other looted national wealth,” the chief minister suggested.
He warned the PPP leadership headed by Asif Zardari to stop corruption and return all the looted wealth otherwise the nation would not spare them and they were destined to repent on their misdeeds soon.
Earlier, he chaired a meeting of the officials to review the law and order situation in the area besides the pace of development works.
On the occasion, he announced that 10,000 cops including women would be recruited in the Punjab to strengthen the police force and female cops would be deputed at the model Police stations to handle women accused.
He also visited the under construction District Headquarters Hospital and reviewed the quality and pace of work. The chief minister also met a delegation of the Health and Public Health Engineering departments and assured them of maximum assistance to resolve their problems. He also assured regularization of the contractual employees of the Public Health Engineering.
The Punjab CM also assured the nurses of addressing their problems at the earliest, saying that their salary had already been increased.
Shahbaz Sharif said that all the ministers had been directed to conduct public meeting on daily basis at open places and all the offices would be opened at 7:00am across the province.
