Shahbaz to be behind bars soon, says Basharat

LAHORE: Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Local Government Punjab Basharat Raja has said that Opposition leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif will be behind the bars soon.

Flanked by Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht outside Punjab Assembly after the annual budget 2019-20 session, Basharat Raja said the Opposition had lost its grounds among the public for that it was relying on hollow hue and cry. He predicted that Shahbaz Sharif would likely be sent behind bars soon.

He said the claims of Opposition for initiating anti-government movement had no value as the public clearly witnessed that not more than 100 people came out in favour of Asif Ali Zardari or Hamza Shahbaz Sharif arrested recently.

Raja Basharat said the new Punjab Local Government System had been one of the most salient features of the Punjab Budget 2019-20 that would become a real catalyst by transferring huge funds directly to the local bodies that would be able to identify need based development schemes and execute themselves at their own.

He said the PTI-led government had presented the best budget in worse economic conditions adding former governments built roads and bridges of concrete but PTI government was preferring relief to the destitute and the poor. Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht on the occasion said that the budget 2019-20 aimed at providing relief to the people of Punjab. He added that budget amount would mainly be spent on sectors like health and education adding the government had planned to set up nine hospitals as well six universities.

He also said that it would be ensured that amount allocated for Southern Punjab shouldn’t be spent anywhere else whereas the government also planned to set up two industrial units. He said the government had limited resources but situation would improve with the passage of time.