Former rulers’ projects overburdened national exchequer: Punjab CM

LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said on Sunday that former rulers initiated projects of showoff only which, instead of facilitating common people, overburdened the national exchequer.

In a media statement issued here, he said that medal of Khadim-e-Aala could not be added to one’s credit with just pretentious claims, rather than selfless service and resolving the issues of common man.

Buzdar said that he was neither in favour of showoff nor fake works, adding, “Developmental projects of previous governments were limited to self publicity/ advertisements alone, and contrary to that we are fixing the issues which were created due to wrong policies of former rulers.”

Usman Buzdar vowed that they would reform the system, adding that previous rulers had deceived south Punjab in the name of development, as there was no physical progress but hollow claims only.

He said that people of south Punjab had given full mandate to the PTI government that was taking practical steps to improve living standard of people over there. Separate development budget had been allocated for south Punjab and the South Punjab Secretariat would be functional in the next fiscal year, where Additional Chief Secretary, Additional IG and special sectaries of different departments would perform their duties there.

With this initiative, the people of south Punjab would not have to travel to Lahore for getting their issues resolved. "We will provide all resources for provision of facilities to the common man, who had since long been ignored badly by the previous governments as he was deceived in the name of bread and shelter," the CM added.

The chief minister said that after 70 years, the government of PTI was striving to resolve the issues of people, adding, "We came to power with the agenda of public welfare and the PTI government is vigilant to safeguard people’s rights.”