LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan gave special significance to ties with Saudi Arabia, which were strengthening further with the passage of time. He was talking to Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Saeed Al-Malkiy who called on to discuss matters of mutual interest, promotion of ties and enhancement of cooperation in various fields. The chief minister said both countries were tied in religious, historic and culture relationship. Saudi Arabia had always extended diplomatic support cooperation to Pakistan for social development and promotion of industry and trade. The ambassador praised the measures taken by the Punjab government for improvement in the social sector and said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had always supported each other like brothers. Separately, Shahbaz said mega projects launched in southern Punjab had been completed at unprecedented fast pace and cited different projects for which billions of rupees had been allocated for southern Punjab. He was talking to Minister of State Abdul Rehman Kanju who met him to exchange views on political affairs and development initiatives taken in the region. Kanju said establishment of emergency health unit in Lodhran would provide better health facilities to the local population. Also on Saturday, the chief minister directed the authorities to speed up work on the first phase of the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute (PKLI), after he visited the site again to review the progress made on the project. Presiding over a meeting, he directed the officials to ensure tree plantation and landscaping and said no parking should be constructed in front of the facility as the front area should be spared for emergency only. On the other hand, the chief minister, in a statement, condemned the murder of five people in the Turbat area of Balochistan. Shahbaz also expressed his grief and sorrow over the death of Olympian Afzal Munna, a famous hockey player, saying Afzal brought good name to the country and his services for the motherland would be remembered for a long time.
