Landless Cholistan residents to be allotted state land

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday presided over a provincial cabinet meeting which approved a number of draft laws and projects, including the Safe City Project for three cities – Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib. The project in Kasur would be completed in the first phase followed by Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib.

The meeting also gave approval to allotment of state land to landless the people of Cholistan under the Chief Minister’s Cholistan Package, drafts of Punjab Women Development Policy, 2017 and Punjab Animal Health Act, 2017 along with declaring negative and positive areas for the cement sector in the province. Other approved items were draft of the first mineral policy of Punjab, charter for establishing University of Sialkot and University of Narowal, and amendments in Punjab Drugs Rules, 2007.

The chief minister lauded the performance of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency DG and his team in matching the DNA test to identify the offender involved in rape and murder of minor girl Asma in Mardan. Shahbaz said identification of the murderers of Zainab and Asma was made possible by the untiring efforts and scientific investigation. He said no industry, including the cement plants, could be set up in the negative area. The Salt Range area was devastated by permitting cement plants there but units could be set up in the negative areas in future, he added.

Directing to constitute a committee comprising of experts and concerned departments for setting up industry in the positive area, the chief minister said it should present its TORs within next two weeks. He ordered action against the unlawfully extended cement plants and said those not complying with the required standards would have to fulfil the criteria. During the Musharraf regime, the then Punjab government tried to rob the mineral resources of Chiniot, he said. “Our government fought this case for several years and saved the resources from plunder. By the grace of Almighty Allah, the first phase with regard to mineral resources of Chiniot is successfully completed and work on second phase has been started,” Shahbaz added. Separately, the chief minister expressed deep sense of sorrow over the death of former parliamentarian Rao Qaiser Ali.