PTI govt focusing on developing South Punjab: CM

CM says previous government badly ignored backward areas of province

LAHORE: The previous government's claims of development remained limited to specific areas and southern Punjab was badly ignored, said Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.

He was talking to former Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) stalwart Shaukat Basra who recently joined the ruling party, at his office on Thursday.

The chief minister said soon after coming into power, the PTI government has focused on the development of the backward areas and practical steps have been taken for the development of southern Punjab. He said that southern Punjab secretariat will start working from next fiscal year and because of it, people living in southern Punjab will have not to go to Lahore for the redressal of their problems.

He reiterated that the PTI is fully committed to redress grievances of southern Punjab. Buzdar said that southern Punjab, as well as other less-developed areas, have been given priority in the annual development programme (ADP). Meanwhile, a composite strategy has been devised to benefit the people of southern Punjab of the fruits of change because its role is very important in the achieving of a new Pakistan.

Buzdar said the Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI) has achieved great success in the general elections because of its revolutionary manifesto. Due to the public-friendly policies of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the PTI has become the most popular party in the country, he added.

He said the PTI government is a government of the people. He added that its tenure in the government is period of real prosperity and development of the country. The PTI has done such a marvelous work in a short span of time which the past rulers were unable to perform even in years.

The chief minister said Imran Khan has given a new direction to the nation and best steps will be taken for public welfare in future because PTI's agenda is aimed at selfless service of the public.

"We will come up to the expectations of the people and a new Pakistan will be made by us. It is sanguine that Shaukat Basra has joined the team of Captain in the journey of public welfare," said the chief minister. Speaking on the occasion, Basra said that he has full confidence and trust over the PTI leadership and party would be further strengthened in future.