Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday declared the Punjab government’s performance as the best and expressed his full confidence in Sardar Usman Buzdar as chief minister of Punjab.
During his one-day visit to Lahore, the prime minister directed the Punjab chief minister to continue his work without any fear. After the prime minister’s statement, rumours about Buzdar’s removal from the top position in Punjab have evaporated into the air.
During a meeting at Chief Minister’s House, the prime minister and the chief minister discussed the political situation in Punjab. At the meeting, Buzdar briefed Khan about the wheat and flour supply situation and coronavirus spread in the province. He also consulted the prime minister about Punjab government’s development projects in Balochistan.
Later, the prime minister laid the foundation stone of the Quaid-e-Azam Business Park at the Chief Minister’s House.
Also on Saturday, Malik Muhammad Ehsan Ullah Tiwana, a member of the National Assembly (MNA) from Noorpur Thal (NA-84) constituency, called on Buzdar at the Chief Minister’s House and informed him about the problems in his constituency.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that second special economic zone, Quaid-e-Azam Business Park, has been inaugurated in the province. Earlier, work on a special economic zone in Faisalabad was opened, he said. He said that 663 industrial units would be set up at the Quaid-e-Azam Business Park. He said the Punjab government would also set up a special economic zone in Bahawalpur and it would be the first of its kind in the southern Punjab region.
The chief minister said the Punjab Small Industries Corporation has allocated Rs12 billion to distribute as loans to the youth of the province. He said that young people would get soft loans from Rs25,000 to Rs5 million under this scheme.
Buzdar said there were only three economic zones in the country when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came into power in 2018. He said the incumbent government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan has initiated work on at least 13 special economic zones in less than two years. He said the federal government has issued notifications for seven special economic zones.
Addressing a high-level meeting later, the chief minister said that enforcement of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus in the province would be ensured during Eid-ul-Azha holidays. He once again appealed to people to celebrate the religious festival with simplicity and take all precautionary measures while slaughtering their sacrificial animals. On this occasion, the chief minister ordered indiscriminate action against those selling sacrificial animals in the urban areas.
Referring to the role the opposition political parties played during the pandemic, Buzdar said they played politics and tried to divide the nation, but the Punjab government foiled all their attempts. He said the Pakistani nation would not forgive those who played politics during the coronavirus pandemic. He said those who believe in criticism for the sake of criticism should now keep quiet. He said the ruling PTI did not leave the nation alone in times of crisis triggered by the coronavirus outbreak in the country.