Tremendous success achieved in war on terror, says Shahbaz

Greets new ministers, advisers and special assistants

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over a special meeting of the provincial cabinet, here Monday.

The chief minister congratulated new ministers, advisers and special assistants and said their induction in the cabinet was the result of grace of Allah Almighty and their abilities and hard work. He said the Punjab government had set new records of public service.He stressed on the new ministers to leave no stone unturned in the public service as it would win them blessings of Allah Almighty and prayers of the people.

He said though cabinet should have been expanded long ago but there were some reasons for delay. He said there were still one and a half years left of the tenure of the present government and there was a need to work round-the-clock for the uplift of education, health, agriculture, industries and other sectors. He said such decisions would have to be taken and implemented as could benefit maximum number of people.

Shahbaz Sharif expressed the hope new ministers would work as a team and would engage themselves in public service. He said that due to unanimous decisions taken by the political and military leadership, tremendous successes had been achieved in the war against terrorism and a new history had been written with regard to Operation Zarb-e-Azb.

Shahbaz Sharif said brave armed forces of Pakistan had rendered supreme sacrifices in the war against terrorism and officers and Jawans of police, citizens, children, mothers as well as members of all segments of the society embraced martyrdom; so the incidents of terrorism had been reduced substantially. He said that the way political and military leadership had taken decisions the day was not far when the menace of terrorism would be rooted out.

The chief minister congratulated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and authorities concerned and commended their role in the war against terrorism. He paid tributes to the sacrifices of the martyrs and said the nation saluted them.

He said Balochistan and Sindh had gas reserves whereas gas had also been found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said though Punjab did not have gas but it had been blessed by Allah Almighty with other resources. He said that Punjab had fertile lands and its agriculture sector had great potential. He said that 400 megawatt solar power project in Bahawalpur was generating electricity.

He said the Punjab government had set up a 100 megawatt solar power project in the desert of Bahawalpur with its own resources. He said Nepra had to revise its tariff rate to the benefit of power consumers and now Nepra had fixed tariff rate at 10.50 cent and it was hoped that with the completion of the projects, Nepra would bring down tariff rate to six or seven cents.

He said a huge sum of Rs112 billion of the nation had been saved in these projects due to which Nepra had to bring down tariff rate.

He said among gas power projects, the trial of turbine of Bhikki project would start in December 2016 and this project would start single phase power supply from February/March 2017. He said the project would supply 750 megawatt electricity from April/May, 2017. Similarly, he said, gas power project at Haveli Bahadar Shah Jhang would supply 750 megawatts power from June/July whereas gas power project at Balloki would start generating 750 megawatts electricity from August/September. As such these three projects will produce 3,600 megawatts electricity by December 2017, he added.

He said that 1,320 megawatt coal power project at Port Qasim will also start power production in 2017.The meeting also offered Fateha for the departed soul of the father of provincial minister Haroon Sultan Bukhari as well as prayed for progress and prosperity of the country.