Takes directions from PTI chairman Imran Khan on video link.

LAHORE    -   On his first day in office, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Ela­hi held a video link meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday to seek his directions on issues of governance in the province.

Forrmer federal minister Moonis Elahi, Dr Shahbaz Gill and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister M Khan Bhatti were also part of the video conference. Matters of mutual inter­est, political and administrative is­sues and public welfare programs, Punjab-based development schemes and the plan of action for timely solutions to public problems also came under discussion. Imran Khan ordered to resume Ehsaas Program, Sehat Insaf Card and other welfare initiatives without delay and regret­ted that the previous Punjab govern­ment had neglected the PTI’s welfare agendas. “The time has come to ele­vate such programs without further delay to provide necessary relief to the common man,” he stressed.

CM Parvez vowed that the Ehsaas Program, Sehat Insaf Card and other public welfare programs will be pro­moted rapidly in Punjab and added that all possible measures will be taken to provide relief to the people.

Separately, Chairman PTI Imran Khan chaired a video link meet­ing which was attended by CM Ch. Parvez Elahi, former federal min­ister Moonis Elahi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Farrukh Habib, Dr Sania Nishtar, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Zain Qureshi and others from Lahore. Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Shahbaz Gill, Asad Umer and others also partici­pated through the video link.

The meeting decided to relaunch public welfare projects to provide relief to the people of Punjab. Im­ran Khan consented to start Ehsaas Ration Program in Punjab and said that due to the incompetence of the incumbent federal government, the people have been crushed in the whirl of price-hike. “Every citizen is worried about the destruction of the economy in three months. Ev­ery possible step should be taken to give relief to the people”; he said and directed to expedite work on the River Ravi Urban Development Proj­ect and the Central Business District scheme. “I will review the progress on these projects regularly”; he told and announced developing an effec­tive monitoring system for the proj­ects. Dr Sania Nishtar was given the responsibility for the launch of the Ehsaas Ration Program in Punjab.

Separately, former chief minister Usman Buzdar called on incumbent Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Ela­hi and felicitated him on elevation as chief minister. Former Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser also met the new chief minister at his of­fice. Ayub Afridi was present as well on the occasion. Matters of mutual interest and political situations were discussed. Asad Qaiser and Ayub Afridi congratulated Parvez on as­suming the charge of the post of the chief minister. Moreover, the chief minister has taken notice of the tri­ple murder case in Dera Ghazi Khan and has sought a report from the IG police. He has directed that the arrest of the accused should be en­sured and further action be taken by bringing the accused under the grip of the law while ensuring that the bereaved family is provided justice.