Shehbaz slams PPP, PML-Q over ‘bad governance’

Inaugurates Punjab Emergency Services building, lauds effective use of resources for construction

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif slammed the PPP government in Sindh over its inability to conduct waste management and the last PML-Q in Punjab for corruption and lavish expenditure

He said the PPP should first clear Karachi of waste before moving into Punjab.  Shehbaz issued this statement while inaugurating the Punjab Emergency Services Academy (PEA) Rescue 1122 on Monday.

The CM claimed the PEA, constructed at cost of 908 million rupees, was a state-of-the-art emergency services academy which met international standards.

Before the inauguration by the CM, a passing out parade and mock exercises to control fire, deep well rescues, patient transfers and other emergency rescue missions were conducted.  Shehbaz said Rescue 1122 was a great institution which delivered satisfactory performances during emergency conditions. ‘Whenever I visited flood-hit areas, I found teams of Rescue 1122 working there,” Sharif added.

He said the building of the academy was simple, but it had all the facilities for cadets in it and it was training rescuers throughout Pakistan.

Citing the effective utilisaiton of resources to build the PEA, Shehbaz said this was the way nations progressed. He said that during the reign of Pervaiz Musharraf, the rulers of Punjab installed tiles imported from India at the Services Hospital although the facility needed more paramedical staff.

“During our government [which came into power] in 2008, we provided medical equipment and trained staff at hospital, saving millions of rupees. At the time, rulers were importing marble amounting to Rs900 million to construct Bab-e-Pakistan. “I stopped it after coming in government,” the CM claimed. “Their extravagances did not stop here. They spent over two billion rupees to construct the CM House on Club Road.” He pointed out that the PML-Q awarded a contract to a dubious company for the excavation of raw steel in Chinot. He thanked the Lahore High Court for cancelling the contract.

He alleged Musharaf and his allies had looted Rs50 billion from the Punjab Bank. Shehbaz stated that it was time to hold all corrupt elements accountable and take action against them. He urged the administrations of all four provinces, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as well as the political and military leadership to ensure accountability. He warned that failure to do so could result in a revolution that will uproot everything related to the system.

Again Criticising PPP, he said those talking about taking over in Punjab must first bring back $90 million lying in Swiss banks back to the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2017.