PTI issues white paper on Punjab

LAHORE

Former organiser PTI Ch Sarwar has issued a white paper on state of governance and human rights in Punjab. 

In the paper issued on Tuesday, Sarwar deplored the worst governance in the province and said every segment of society was protesting against the government policies which were big question mark on the so-called experienced team of PML-N. Quoting statistics from the white paper, he said more than ten thousand incidents of crime were reported from the province every day including 80 casualties daily. 

In past few months, 113 persons including women committed suicides due to poverty, inflation, unemployment and other similar reasons while more than 170 children were kidnapped from the capital city Lahore alone in this period.

He stated that nearly 40,000 absconders were roaming free in the province as the police had failed to arrest them.

Talking about the health sector, he revealed, there was one bed for two to three patients in the major healthcare establishments like Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore General Hospital, Mayo Hospital and Jinnah Hospital while the province had no full time health minister. 

The white paper stated that per kg price of sugar rose up to eight rupees while the prices of fruits and vegetables has also registered surge. More than 16 people were electrocuted in Lahore due to open electricity wires while the power outages for ten to twelve hours per day were a norm throughout the province. The mega corruption scandals have become hallmark of the ruling party.

It also said Mall Road has become “Ehtejaj Road” as the government was failing the province badly in every sector.

The data collected from the media reports revealed that more than a thousand protests were lodged during one month period while 37 people lost their lives due to lack of basic facilities in hospitals and nine thousand women died due to pregnancy related problems.

The government and the Drug Regulatory Authority have also failed in curbing the menace of spurious drugs in the markets which claim several innocent lives. 

The total volume of loans on Punjab has increased from 500 billion while the basic amenities like clean drinking water, law and order, electricity, education and health were missing or out of reach for the public. The government has failed to launch Ashiana Housing Scheme and could not hold its ballot in July despite repeated deadlines.

The white paper revealed that the government was performing poorly in the education sector as well. More than one crore children were still out of schools and two million youth were forced to become labourers instead of students. The law and order has deteriorated so much that nobody is safe in the province especially in Lahore where more than 70 incidents of rape and sexual abuse were reported in one month. The law enforcement agencies were unable to control the rate of crime throughout the province.

In these times of worst governance, the government was focusing on mega projects like Orange Train instead of providing relief in health and education sectors, said Sarwar in the white paper.

Tareen: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Secretary General Jehangir Khan Tareen has urged the party workers to get united to purge the country of the menace of corruption.

Addressing a convention of Insaf Tigers on Tuesday, Jehangir Khan said that 'PTI tigers' had a great role in the success of the party and stated that they must also ensure maximum participation in the anti-corruption movement being launched from August 7.

The PTI secretary general said PTI Chairman Imran Khan had mandated him to end all sort of groupings within the party, adding that all stalwarts should utilise their strength to ensure a corruption-free Pakistan.

He congratulated the office-bearers of Insaf Tigers on organising the successful gathering.

The PTI leader, lauding the Insaf Tigers, stated that if mother party was organised in the manner the Insaf Tigers members organised this force, no power could compete the PTI.

suspended: Following public complaints, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general has suspended nine officers besides issuing strict warnings to two directors. 

The officials were suspended following public complaints of corruption, inefficiency and negligence against them, LDA officials said, adding the suspended officers included two assistant directors town planning Salman Raza and Tayyab Ali. 

Other officials were two sub-engineers (survey) Muhammad Azam Javed and Muhammad Naveed Yousaf, four record keepers Muhammad Amin, Hafeez Ahmad, Syed Mehtab Ali and Zahur-ud-Din and one senior clerk Naseem Iqbal.

LDA officials maintained that strict written warning has also been issued to Syed Nadeem Akhtar Zaidi and Rai Muhammad Ashraf, Directors in Town Planning Wing of LDA.

Nabeel Javed, LDA DG, passed the suspension orders of the officials after listening to public complaints during his surprise visit of One Window Cell of LDA on Tuesday.

The officials said the DG met with general public who came to Lahore Development Authority One Window and listened complaints, which mostly pertained to irrelevant objections on public applications, non-disposal of complaints even after expiry of deadlines and use of delaying tactics by the officials with regard to approval of building plans, commercialisation issues and other related matters.

Talking to people, the director general observed that the LDA was a public service organisation.

Those involved in causing troubles to people instead of providing relief to them will be dealt with severely. Strict action will be taken against the officials involved in using delaying tactics and putting irrelevant objections on applications filed by people.

He informed that a complaint box has been placed at One Window Cell of LDA and people can drop their written complaints about any directorate of LDA in this box. Prompt action will be taken on these complaints, assured the director general. 

The DG directed the officers and officials for ensuring timely disposal of applications submitted at the One Window Cell of Lahore Development Authority.

He directed for informing the applicants about objections, if any, on their application in one go instead of causing inconvenience to them by calling them again and again.