‘Southern Punjab to have its own ADP’

Buzdar says separate secretariat will start functioning next fiscal year

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said cabinet meetings would be held in other divisions after Bahawalpur and a separate secretariat for southern Punjab would be established from the next financial year.

He expressed these views during a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar on Wednesday.

The CM said steps were being taken to improve the entry and exit points of Multan and other southern Punjab divisions, he said.

“A separate annual development programme will be maintained for South Punjab and the promises made with people of southern areas of the province will be fulfilled,” he said.

He said establishing of a cancer hospital in Multan was under consideration. In addition, backward areas would also be developed and all decisions would be made after consultations with all stakeholders.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that unabated incidents of firing by the Indian army at the Line of Control (LoC) were condemnable, adding that the continued silence of the international community over most atrocious cruelties of occupied Indian armed forces against unarmed Kashmiri civilians was deplorable.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) government has exposed Indian cruelties on every level. He added aggressive Indian designs were a continued threat to regional peace.

On the occasion, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan has highlighted the core issue of Kashmir at every forum. “The PTI government believes in maintaining brotherly relations with all the countries of the world, but no compromise will be made on the solidarity and sovereignty of the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, MNA Kanwal Shauzab, MPA Syed Samsam Ali Shah Bukhari and PTI leader Rai Hassan Nawaz also held meetings with the chief minister at his office. On the occasion, Buzdar said he would visit every district and tehsil of the province.

He said issues and problems of Ahmadpur East would be resolved on a priority basis and repair and maintenance of roads, improvement of the sewerage system and restoration of parks would be done as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2019.