Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Monday made a telephonic contact to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and requested for evolving a collective strategy for resolving the problems besetting the country. Sources said that Shahbaz Sharif discussed with the premier about internal and external challenges posed to the country and stressed for forging unity to tackle these issues.
According to them, Shahbaz Sharif contacted the premier in pursuance of directions of PML-N Quaid. Shahbaz also rushed to Islamabad for an expected meeting with the PM. Later, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif told reporters that political leadership in and outside the parliament military and judiciary will have to evolve a collective strategy for resolving the problems besetting the country. He said there was a need for adopting a national thinking and seriousness without point scoring for finding unanimous solution to the problems being faced by the country.
Shahbaz said that Pakistan is passing through a critical phase of its history and facing internal and external challenges and threats. He said that the need of unity, solidarity and national harmony in the current situation is more than ever before. He said that collective efforts are needed to resolve the problems being faced by the country.
To a query, Shahbaz Sharif said that he has contacted the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in this regard and is ready to go to anyone for this purpose and Quaid Muslim League-N Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has issued the same instructions to him.
Answering another question about load shedding of gas in the province, the Punjab Chief Minister said that the committee comprising industrialists and traders has again been constituted to contact the federal government for redressal of the problem. He said that industrialists, traders and workers of Faisalabad had announced to launch a long march to Islamabad on March 5, but on his request they decided to postpone this programme to provide another chance to the federal government.
Earlier, the Chief Minister formally inaugurated the 3-day anti-polio campaign in the province by administering anti-polio drops to the children. The campaign will continue till March 9. Member Provincial Assembly Dr Saeed Elahi, representative of WHO Dr Debra Betal, Dr Mushtaq Rana of UNICEF, Special Secretary Health Wasim Mukhtar and Executive District Officer Health Lahore Dr Umar Farooq Baloch were also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said that anti-polio campaign has been initiated in the province to save the new generation from polio and every possible step will be taken with the co-operation of international organisations for the complete eradication of Polio from the province. He said that under the 3-day campaign launched by the Health Department, anti-polio drops will be administered to 16.27 million children and 38,000 teams have been constituted for this purpose. He said that 34,000 mobile teams of health department would administer anti-polio vaccine to the children below five years of age at railway stations, bus stands and entry and exit points of the cities. Similarly, mobile teams will pay door to door visits for this purpose. He said that government is determined to eliminate polio at any cost to save the young generation from this crippling disease for setting up a healthy society and the success of ongoing anti-Polio campaign will be ensured.