Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that waiving of loans worth billions of rupees on political grounds tantamount to looting of national resources and usurping the rights of the people and nothing could be more cruel or unfair to the nation. He said that loans worth 60 billion rupees were written off on political basis during Musharraf era.
He made an appeal to Prime Minister and Chief Justice of Pakistan to recover the looted amount along with fine from the plunderers. He said that he would file a petition in the court with the consultation of Quaid Pakistan Muslim League (N) Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and the party for recovery of the loans waived on political grounds. He said that all out resources were being utilised for the welfare of the masses and development projects worth billion of rupees were being executed expeditiously in the province.
He was talking to journalists during inspection of various development projects in the provincial metropolis here on Sunday. The Chief Minister inspected in detail Shalimar Interchange, G.T.Road-Ring Road Package-9, horticulture work on G.T.Road up to Wahga Border, Harbanspura Package-10 and Ring Road Package-7 near Airport.
The Chief Minister said that loans of Rs 100 billion were waived during the last two decades. He said that writing off the loans on commercial bases was a different issue but waiving of loans on political basis was a robbery. He said that poor masses had the right over national resources and had these funds been utilised on the provision of basic facilities to the people of far-flung and backward areas, the situation in these areas would have been much better. He said that loans of Rs 100 billion which were the hard earned money of the people not been written off, Pakistan would not have needed financial assistance under Kerry-Lugar Bill. He said that it was due to the same loot and plunder of national resources that development projects throughout the country were pending and people were running from pillar to post for basic necessities.
Shahbaz said that Bank of Punjab was robbed of nine billion rupees and PCO Judge Bilal Khan not only stopped Punjab government from arresting Hamesh Khan but also managed his escape. He said that it was a matter of satisfaction that judiciary was free and independent today and people were witnessing its benefits. He said that it was due to an independent judiciary that the owners of Haris Steel Mills who had escaped from the country after looting national resources had been brought to justice and it was like a breath of fresh air for the country. He said that PCO judges wanted to restore the assets of Haris Steel Mills but they raised this issue and PCO judges could not do so.
The Chief Minister further said that solid measures were being taken for the provision of basic amenities to the masses and he would also carry out surprise inspection of ongoing development projects in other areas of the province on the pattern of Lahore. He said that timely and transparent completion of uplift projects was being ensured. He said that service of the people was the mission of the government and every effort was being made for this purpose.
He said that IT labs had been set up in more than 4000 schools of the province at a cost of rupees five billion and due to implementation of this project, students of Harbanspura, Bahawalnagar, Attock, DG Khan, Mianwali, Rajanpur as well as all areas of the province would be able to gain latest information about world situation as well as benefit from modern knowledge through internet for pursuing their academic activities. He said that education sector was in a state of decay but with the setting up of IT labs, 3.4 million students would become a part of global village.
He said that a shining example has been set through recruitment of 40 thousand educators purely on merit without any political influence and pressure. He said that foundation of a soft revolution had been laid in education sector through such revolutionary measures. He said that collective efforts would have to be made for the development and progress of the country. He said that Shalimar Interchange would soon be inaugurated and work on Ring Road project was in progress expeditiously. Director General Frontier Works Organisation, Brigadier Muhammad Shahid of National Logistic Cell, Commissioner and District Co-ordination Officer Lahore, Managing Director Nespak and Director General Lahore Development Authority were also present on the occasion.
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