Free medicines in BHUs from July 1

CM Hamza says laments hurdles in budget presentation

LAHORE:

Free medicines will be provided to patients in basic heath units (BHUs) and Tehsil headquarters hospitals from July 1, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz announced on Tuesday.

Talking to the media at Punjab Assembly, he said cancer medicines would also be provided free of cost.

The chief minister said Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi could not hamper his mission of public service and the government should be allowed to present the provincial budget.

He said the opposition was demanding that the inspector general of police be subpoenaed.

He said he would wait at the assembly again for the presentation of the budget amid amid political maneuvering.

Chief Minister Hamza said havoc had been played with the Constitution in the largest province of the country.

Replying to a question, he said the assembly session had been summoned and then prorogued and it appeared that the speaker was acting like a monarch.

He said the ministers were constantly demanding resumption of the assembly session but the the opposition was preoccupied with the issue of summoning the chief secretary and the IGP.

He regretted that the media access to the assembly had been restricted. He asked who had sent ‘goons’ inside when the deputy speaker was chairing the assembly proceedings.

He said it was not a personal matter for him but the ego of the speaker and the PTI chairman had no limits.

He said a situation like that experienced in Punjab during the past six months had not been witnessed earlier in history.

‘The whole provincial machinery sat beside me till late night, he said and asserted and added that the uncertainty must come to an end as the government wanted to present the budget.

He said the interest of the people and not he was being damaged and those responsible would be held accountable by the people.

He said Speaker Pervaiz Elahi could not create a gulf between him and the people.

The chief minister asserted that the IGP and chief secretary had played their legal role.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2022.