Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that every effort of the Punjab government is directed towards welfare of the masses and progress of the province and all out resources have been allocated for this purpose.
He said that Pakistan will be made a strong and prosperous country under the leadership of President Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and transformed into an Islamic welfare state in the real sense in accordance with the ideas of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam.
He said that the dream of the poor and the common man has been realised by launching Aashiyana Housing Scheme first time in the history of the country and even better civic amenities have been provided in the scheme, as are available in the residential societies of the elite. He said that it is not an exaggeration that through this project the poor have taken a lead over the rich.
Talking to Assembly Members here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that Pakistan came into being for the purpose of supremacy of justice and law and availability of equal opportunities to every citizen to move ahead. However, he said, despite a lapse of 64 years, the Pakistan of the poor is different from that of the rich. He said that tenures of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) are marked by public service, as it is the cornerstone of its policies. He said that instead of mere slogans for the speedy development of the province and welfare of the masses, practical measures have been taken for this purpose and special attention has been paid to the uplift of backward and less-developed areas.
He said that standard, speed and transparency are the essential features of the development projects and every penny of public money is being utilised in a transparent manner. He said that Kalma Flyover and other development projects are a proof of this fact. He said that Kalma Flyover has been completed in a record period of 135 days and it is a masterpiece of modern architecture.
He said that Kalma Flyover project is an example of hard work, honesty, transparency, commitment and determination and all hurdles in the development of the country can be removed if the same spirit is adopted. He said that scope of Aashiyana Housing Scheme is being extended to the whole province and these schemes would be started for farmers, workers, widows and orphans in 18 other districts of the province this year.
He said that government is itself making down payment for the quota allocated for widows, orphans and the families of martyrs in Aashiyana Housing Scheme. He said that solid measures are also being taken for the elimination of unemployment and illiteracy from the province.
He said that provision of soft-term loans and Yellow Cab scheme will greatly help the youth to stand on their own feet. He said that young generation is the guarantee of a bright future of the country and a comprehensive strategy is being implemented for imparting modern education to the youth. He said that besides provision of one-lakh laptops to talented students, scholarships are also being offered to many brilliant students from Punjab Educational Endowment Fund.
He called upon Assembly Members to play their due role for the timely and transparent completion of development projects in their respective areas and spare no effort for the solution of people's problems. Those who met the Chief Minister included Noor Haider Khan Niazi, Sanaullah Mastikhel and Adil Atra.