Govt decision to raise salaries will alleviate financial woes: Firdous

LAHORE: Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said the Punjab government decision to raise the salaries of government employees by 25% will alleviate the financial difficulties of the white-collar people.

Talking to the media at the Governor’s House here on Saturday, she said the PTI is a democratic party and everyone in the party has freedom of speech and expression. The chief minister has assured the associates of Jahangir Khan Tareen for early resolution of their problems and unlike the past, the doors of the Chief Minister’s Office are open to all members without any distinction. The government is determined to provide relief to people and resolve their problems, she said.

The special assistant said the next budget will be development-oriented and resources will be equally distributed for composite development of the province, adding that a comprehensive strategy will be adopted for development schemes and resolution of peoples’ problems. She said every effort will be made to bridge the gap between urban and rural development.

Responding to a question, Dr Firdous said the members of Tareen’s delegation have expressed full and unconditional confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar during their meeting with the CM and he reiterated his resolve to play a role as a party member in the Punjab Assembly. There was no mention of any deadline in this meeting and “I think the member of the group who said this should explain it”, she said.

The SACM said Nawaz Sharif went to London under the pretext of medical checkup and instead of hospital, he is found in the office of his son doing business dealings.

Taking benefit of the freedom of expression given to people in the UK, Nawaz Sharif talks against the state institutions. She asked Nawaz to return to Pakistan if he feels insecure in Britain. “We guarantee Nawaz Sharif a safe life in prison,” she said. Commenting on masked men’s attempt to attack Nawaz in London, she said the incident shows that the Sharif family’s business disputes are going on in London as well and asked him to return the looted money.

To another question, Dr Firdous said the PDM has met its logical end and the government has nothing to do with Shahbaz Sharif as the government focus is on providing maximum relief to people in the next budget. In response to another question, she said the PTI’s vehicle is moving smoothly in political traffic and will reach the destination of the 2023 elections without any accident.

Earlier, addressing a ceremony held in connection with the UN Global Road Safety Week 2021 organized under the aegis of the Punjab Emergency Service and World Health Organization, she said launching awareness programmes regarding the prevention of road accidents is the need of the hour. She said the Rescue 1122 is serving the nation effectively, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. While sharing her personal experience of a road crash before the establishment of the Rescue 1122, Dr Firdous said that now people are lucky as they have an integrated emergency care system of Rescue 1122 for pre-hospital care but citizens should also take care of their lives, especially motorbike riders must reduce speed to save themselves from death and disability for the rest of their lives. She lauded the services of the founding Director General of Rescue 1122, Dr Rizwan Naseer, and paid tribute to his entire team.