Replying to Imran’s allegations waste of time: Shahbaz

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday said Imran Khan was a liar who levelled baseless allegations and replying to him was wastage of time and an insult to truth.

Talking to media persons in Layyah, the chief minister said Imran had levelled unfounded allegations against him, including taking Rs 27 billion from Javed Sadiq as bribe, offering Rs 10 billion to him to shut the Panama Papers case and receiving bribery along with Chinese Company in the Multan Metro Bus Project. “Replying to him would be an insult to truth,” he added.

Shahbaz was in Layyah to inaugurate the first state-of-the-art pathology lab at the DHQ Hospital. The project has been completed at a cost of Rs 94 million, where 436 tests of 43 categories will be conducted. The lab would be run by the US-based North Shore Medical Lab.

Speaking on the occasion, Shahbaz said the Punjab government was setting up pathology labs at 26 DHQ hospitals in three phases in collaboration with private sector, adding that the standard of their tests would not be less than any European lab.

“Along with Layyah, these labs have been established in Vehari, Jhelum, Chakwal and Khushab as well,” he said He said only a token fee would be collected from the patients as the rest of the expenditures were be borne by the Punjab government.

Shahbaz said mobile bio-mechanical project had also been started in this hospital for timely repair of different equipment. He handed over the keys of the workshop to the Deputy Commissioner and also inspected the renovation work of old block of the hospital.

About the up-gradation of the district’s main hospital, he said 40 DHQ and THQ hospitals in the province were being upgraded on the same model. Separately, the chief minister said workers had rendered invaluable sacrifices for their rights in Chicago in May 1886 and added, “This day reminds us about martyrs of Chicago and their struggle against oppression and tyranny.”

In his message on the International Labours Day, the chief minister said the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan provided necessary protection to the rights of the labourers. “The goal of durable socio-economic development cannot be achieved without giving due status to the working class as their role is pivotal in giving sound foundations to the national economy. The human resource is the backbone of trade and industry. It is the reason that government is giving full attention to improve the lot of working class and solid steps have been taken for welfare of the workers,” he added.

“Under the skills development programme of the Punjab government, thousands of youth have been trained. Along with it, thousands of children of brick-kiln workers have been brought to schools for their education. The workers are fully benefiting from the labour-friendly policies of the Punjab government,” he said.

On the other hand, the chief minister congratulated the newly-elected President Khawaja Naseer and Secretary Muhammad Ali Iqbal of Press Gallery Committee of Punjab Assembly.