Usman Buzdar promises safe city project for Pindi

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Tuesday said that his government will build a safe city project in Rawalpindi, quite like the one in Lahore, to improve security for residents of the garrison city.

He said that the garrison city was close to his heart and there is much good news to come for its locals soon.

Buzdar said this while inaugurating a double-decker tourist bus service between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi at the renovated Allama Iqbal Park.

“The people have been suffocated due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown but we have now opened the tourism sector for them,” he said while dilating on the plans to develop the province, from Koh-e-Suleman to Murree, as a tourist hub.

Terming the tourist bus service a gift for the people of the twin cities, Buzdar announced that his government will extend the scope of double-decker bus service to other cities as well for the promotion of tourism, with Bahawalpur one of the destinations.

“These areas have great tourism potential,” he said, adding that the Potohar region, in particular, is host to plenty of beautiful places and lakes.

About projects in the district, he said that a feasibility study for the Leh Expressway Project is about to be completed. Moreover, he said that soon people will hear good news about the Rawalpindi Ring Road project. The Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant - which was a hub for treating Covid-19 patients - will be completed this year.

Further, an institute is being set up in Rawalpindi on tourism, he said.

On developing the popular hill station of Murree, Buzdar said that the government is providing funds to resolve the water problems there.

Additionally, he said that tourist spots in Murree are being beautified while facilities are being improved. To enhance capacity, government rest houses have been opened up for the public. The Murree hospital is being upgraded while a new police station will be constructed in the sub-division.

The chief minister also rebuffed rumours about him.

“Those who are hatching conspiracies [against me] do not want Punjab to develop and progress as these elements are against the progress of the country,” Buzdar said, adding, “After every four months, they fabricate stories about me quitting office.”

He asserted that the performance of his province can be easily measured by comparing it with that of other provinces.

Later, the chief minister planted a sapling and took a trip on the bus along with lawmakers from Rawalpindi and officials of the district administration.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2020.