Days of unfounded allegations, liars numbered: Shahbaz

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday said the days of elements levelling unsubstantiated allegations and spreading lies were numbered as the 210 million Pakistanis were sick of negative politics.

He expressed these views while talking to Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq who called on him in the provincial capital to discuss the overall political situation of the country. “The people of Pakistan only want the solution of their problems as they cannot be served through hollow slogans because one has to work really hard for it.  The claimants of new Pakistan have even disappointed the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” said the chief minister.

The elements making world records of name calling and lies had been fully exposed and would be defeated in the next elections as well, he added. Separately, the chief minister said prosperity of southern Punjab had always been a priority agenda for which the PML-N government was spending billions of rupees.

“The people of southern Punjab are being given all the facilities which are available to the people of central Punjab. I shall not sit idle till bringing the southern Punjab at par with the central Punjab,” said Shahbaz who was talking to a delegation of the Multan Press Club. Citing different ongoing and completed projects, he said the role of the media was very important in the process of national development.

Society was being weakened through baseless allegations, he said, adding that the elements involved in the practice should avoid their negative politics.

The chief minister remarked that a political party head, who lied and levelled baseless allegations, could not be declared a leader because a true leader guided. “He is flanked by thieves and dacoits and is poisoning the minds of the youth by putting them on wrong path. I took him to the court but he evaded the proceedings,” he said.

The chief minister announced an annual grant of Rs 2 million to the Multan Press Club, a grant-in-aid of Rs53 million for dealing with the issue of pending amount of plots in the journalists colony and establishment of a sub-office of Journalists Housing Foundation in Multan.

He also directed the officials concerned to review the proposals of second phase of journalists colony in Multan. On the other hand, Shahbaz, chairing a meeting, approved establishment model graveyards on the pattern of Shehar-e-Khamoshan at divisional headquarters and eight major cities.

Meanwhile, the chief minister, in a message on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, said it was imperative to alleviate poverty to eradicate the menace of terrorism and fanaticism. He added that poverty could be reduced by tackling economic disparities and ensuring equitable distribution of resources among different segments of the society.