Provincial Information, Culture, Industries and Trade Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal has claimed that the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has deposited gifts amounting to Rs 90 million into national exchequer instead of taking them home.
Addressing a press conference in connection with the one year performance of the PTI Punjab government here on Sunday, the Minister claimed that no financial or misappropriation scandal of any PTI minister has come to surface.
He also claimed that 60 percent reduction has been made in the expenses of Chief Minister Office, adding that Rs 20 million has been saved in the expenses of vehicles and gifts amounting to Rs90 million have been deposited in the national exchequer instead of taking them home.
The further claimed that the Punjab government did not take loan of a single penny and repaying Rs 1.2 trillion debt of the previous PML-N government. "The PTI is working with the help of its own resources." Without adopting ostentatious protocol, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is following an austerity policy as compared to eight camp offices being set up by former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, he added.
For the first time in history, he added, the PTI Punjab proceeded towards the constitution of an industrial policy and established four new technical universities in Punjab. He said projects such as special economic zones, small industry and cottage industry were also launched in Punjab. Such projects will bring revolution in the industrial field. Project comprising of 20,000 acre special economic zone in Muzaffargarh and Layyah will prove to be a game changer, he continued.
"According to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, no inspector will be able to enter any factory and harass owners after 15 days," he said and indicated to setup nine new hospitals including emergencies of 12 big hospitals and other projects which will give facilities to the patients on a large scale. In one year, the Punjab government also formulated an e-policy for the transfer of teachers. Besides this, reforms were also introduced in Agriculture, Irrigation and other departments which will yield fruitful results in coming four years, added Mian Aslam.
He further said that issuance of Insaf Health Card for journalists and media workers will be ensured and he will himself raise this matter in the upcoming cabinet meeting. "We have also made special arrangements for one or two prisoners so that the opposition should not have any opportunity to criticize," he said.
Slamming the PML-N and the PPP leadership, the Minister said the PTI government also exposed plunderers of national wealth in one year and blocked illegal ways for looters of national wealth. "The PTI government also unmasked faces who have no pain and concern for the nation but only cares about their own plunder."
Mian Aslam claimed the PML-N initiated schemes of Sasti Roti, laptop, energy projects, metro bus, orange line train, Aashiyana and other so-called mega projects just to oblige and give favor to their sons and sons-in-law by plundering and minting national money. "They (PML-N leadership) can buy flats abroad and only one project of orange line train amounting to Rs325 billion had eaten away all the funds of South Punjab," he claimed and added that the PML-N by issuing so-called whitepaper is doing nothing except telling a pack of lies and hurling false and fabricated allegations.
He also accused the PML-N and the PPP for not doing anything for the wellbeing of the public except looting the exchequer while remaining in power. The PML-N remained in power for continuous ten years in Punjab and the PPP remained in federal for 30 years but did nothing except massive corruption by leaving behind one another and their ministers also became front-men of their leadership for their corruption and videos of such practices are on record, the claimed.
He asked how the opposition parties could bring whitepaper against one year performance of the PTI since they also have tainted past. "Each and every project initiated by PML-N and PPP at federal, Punjab and Sindh government level provides ample proof of massive corruption and their real grief is that why scandal of any PTI minister has not come to light?"