Lack of harmony among institutions to harm national security: Shahbaz

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday appealed to students, teachers, doctors, politicians, generals and judges to sit together to lay the foundations of a new Pakistan.

“Any lack of rapprochement between the institutions would be detrimental to the needs and requirements of national security. We should only think of the future of the country by setting aside our personal likes and dislikes,” he added. Shahbaz was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Punjab Tianjin University of Technology (PTUT) from London through video link.

He called for respecting the Parliament and its rights and said the Supreme Court enjoyed the powers to interpret the Constitution, adding that the armed forces worked for national defence. “The country needs national unity and cohesion,” the chief minister said.

“We should create an atmosphere of unity by eliminating our internal differences. There is a strong need to transform any dissonance between the institutions into conformity as confrontation can damage national security. We should have to eliminate internal differences, opposition and pointless confrontation,” he said.

“We believe in practical work instead of emotional speeches,” Shahbaz said and added that examples of practical work were available across the province, as PTUT, PKLI and hundreds of other similar institutions were serving the masses.

He said more than 60 per cent of the population comprised youth who needed technology-based education to improve their future. “Setting up institutions like PTUT for high-quality technical education is need of the hour,” he stressed.

“Pakistan is not the property of anybody and all the citizens are its custodians,” said Shahbaz. He thanked the Chinese government, Tianjin University syndicate, educational experts of Punjab and his team members who worked hard for setting up of PTUT within a few months.

On the other hand, Shahbaz telephoned the parents and widow of late Sohail Ahmed Tipu – Deputy Commissioner Gujranwala – from London on Friday and expressed deep sense of sorrow and grief.

He said Tipu was a brilliant officer having superb administrative capabilities. He said the government would leave no stone unturned to look after his family, adding that the education of his children and other affairs would be properly looked after.