A file photo of deputy PM Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. PHOTO: PPI/FILE
Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi has accused leaders of the PML-N for causing the energy crisis in Punjab.
Addressing a public gathering in Sambrial, the deputy premier claimed that the province would have been free of load-shedding had the PML-N leadership approved the formula put forward by Chaudhry Shujaat.
He went on to blame the Punjab administration of spending Rs100 billion from the national exchequer on “useless” projects. Talking about the newly-launched Lahore metro bus service, he said that the PML-N had bankrupted the entire province. He claimed that they invested Rs50 billion on a “fenced” bus service and allotted an additional Rs1 billion subsidy.
“Can a 25km long fenced bus service spread literacy?” he asked.
Projects like the Aashiana scheme, yellow cab, roti ovens, and laptops were a farce, he added. PML-N should stop chanting slogan of bringing change in Punjab because all their performances appear to be a mere revenge tactic.
“In the past, we have worked for the welfare of the poor farmers, while no one cares about them today,” said Ellahi.
He asked why MNAs and MPAs did not protest when approved projects like the Sialkot Motorway, Swedish university and Cardiology hospital were abandoned.
Referring to the latter, he said that the Rs3 billion worth infrastructure of the hospital in Wazirabad was lying unutilised because the Punjab government was not providing staff for it. Rescue officials have shared stories about how patients die while being dispatched to Lahore, he added, and this negligence merits an FIR against the Sharif brothers.
Concluding the address, Ellahi said that the region of Sambrial was closely associated with Allama Mohammad Iqbal, who gave the vision of Pakistan; hence it always has been and will remain a priority for him.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2013.
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Cost of Metro Bus project is 70 billion, 30 billion for the brothers included
This is a very good project for peoples.
if i was living in a backward area of Punjab, i would have hated Lahore from my bones after this. we don't have basic hospitals, primary schools in most of province but for some not-so-strange reasons, we have this. The original cost of quite high than claimed 30 billions, but if this amount makes a mockery of people living in small cities. Its not about if metro bus is a good project or bad but the real issue is weather it had more priority than schools and health facilities.
Oh Bhai. The cost of the metro bus was 30 billion. This is a achievement not for Punjab but for the whole of Pakistan. Stop spreading lies.