No pressure group, no forward bloc in PA: Usman Buzdar

BAHAWALPUR: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has categorically refuted the news of any pressure group or forward bloc in the Punjab Assembly and said they all were united under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Talking to The News here on Thursday during his visit to Bahawalpur, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government allies were comfortable with the coalition arrangement. Buzdar said the PTI and its coalition partners were working hard for prosperity of Punjab and Pakistan.

About the recent flour crisis and hike in sugar price, the CM said there was no crisis or dearth of flour in Punjab as the commodity was available in every city at the sale points, set up by the provincial government. He claimed that he and his cabinet ministers were minutely monitoring the situation. He said he himself visited different sale points in Bahawalpur city and talked to people who told him that flour was easily available atfixed price of Rs805 per 20-kg bag.

Usman Buzdar said he would very soon pay a special visit to Bahawalpur to announce development projects for the division. In this connection, elected representatives would be taken on board, added the CM.

Later, the chief minister visited the incomplete Thalassaemia & Bone-Marrow Transplant Centre at Bahawal Victoria Hospital. During his visit to the Centre, the chief minister told the media Rs900 million required for completion of the project would be released soon. He said it was the first Thalassaemia and Bone-Marrow Transplant Centre in south Punjab where all blood-related diseases would be treated.

He announced on the occasion that Civil Hospital Bahawalpur would be named after Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi because of his services for the region and the country.

APP adds: A patient, Amina, expressed the desire to study while talking to the chief minister. The CM ordered for making arrangements for her education in some good educational institution at the Punjab government expense.

He also announced a journalist colony for the media persons in Bahawalpur and promised taking steps soon in this regard.

Our Lahore correspondent adds: Punjab CM Usman Buzdar reached Dera Ghazi Khan from Bahawalpur and visited the city on Thursday. He inspected cleanliness arrangements in the city and reviewed development schemes. He also met notables of the areas and common citizens. He listened to problems of people and issued instructions for their redress.

The CM talked to people in Balochi and Seraiki languages. He condoled with Mumtaz Buzdar and expressed sorrow and grief over the sad demise of his brother Hafeez Khan Buzdar, a renowned social worker. He also offered Fateha for the departed soul.

The Punjab chief minister said those spreading rumours of change in Punjab were hatching conspiracies. “All stakeholders of the Punjab government are on one page. Neither there is any pressure group nor forward bloc in Punjab,” he added.

He said 35 per cent of the province’s development funds had been allocated for uplift of southern Punjab. He said the PTI and its coalition partners were working jointly for betterment of the area and redress of grievances of people.

Local journalist Mazhar Lashari presented his book to the chief minister.