Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, former justice Ejaz Nisar has said that government has overcome the flour crisis by putting in place effective measures across the province.
In an interview with APP panel at CM Secretariat here on Tuesday, he said, the government had constituted teams at Union Council level for distribution of wheat flour to ensure its availability to masses and control its pilferage.
"Yesterday's report in this regard has been satisfactory as the trucks load of flour bags bring back up to 500 surplus bags from different areas," he added. Assessing every UC demand through these reports, he said trucks-load of flour bags were being sent to the UCs accordingly.
The Chief Minister said that root causes of the wheat flour shortage was suspension of means of transport during the riots erupted in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto's assassination as well as hoarders' activism in the scenario.
To another query, the Chief Minister said that government was adhering to one-point agenda for the conduct of general elections that required maintaining peace, providing logistic support to Election Commission of Pakistan and facilitating the officials especially of federal government, which would work under the ECP.
Brushing aside the various political parties' allegations that government was affecting the ECP, he clarified that provincial government hadn't any power or authority to put pressure or affect the working of the Election Commission.
"District Returning Officers, (District and Session Judges) are at the helm of affairs in the election process and provincial government cannot dictate them, as they are under High Court," he mentioned.
Nisar categorically said that elections would be held in free, fair and transparent manner. Responding to another question, the government, he said, provided security to the political leaders on demand and it would also make arrangements if anyone of them asked for Elite's basic training to their personal guards.
The Chief Minister ruled out the reports that government had registered cases against political workers and that they would be arrested before the polling day to shatter the transparency of the elections.
He asserted, "no political party is targeted in this regard, however, action is being taken against those, who inflicted damages to public and private properties."
Nisar said that peace would be maintained at all costs in the province during Ashura. He said that clergymen and other religious scholars had assured their full cooperation to the government in the Ittihad Ban-ul-Muslimeen Conference held recently.
Nisar said government had declared 22 districts of the province as sensitive, where personnel of Army, Rangers, police as well as national volunteers would guard the mourning processions and worship places to ensure protection to the faithful.
These districts included Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Jhang, Multan, Bhakkar, DG Khan, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Attock, Muzaffargarh, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, Khanewal, Bhawalpur and Bhawalnagar.
He further said a total of 86,000 policemen and 14,000 Punjab Constabulary and Elite Force personnel would be deployed throughout the province.
The Chief Minister said that the seven-member investigation team of the Lahore blast had made tremendous progress, however, "we will be able to say some thing certain after bomber's DNA test, which is in process."
He said that the suicide attacker's sketches have already been published in the national press and government would award handsome prize to whoever provides any information about the bomber, assuring that informant's identity would be kept secret.
To a question, the Chief Minister said, "I have approved Rs300,000 for each cop, who martyred in the blast, in addition to their Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) of compensation." While, the injured policemen have been awarded Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 for their daily treatment expenditures, he added.
Under the SOP, he said, every police official, who laid down his life during official duty, is given Rs500,000 cash and the total salary of his/her remaining service period, while, one of his kins is also inducted in the Police Department.
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