CM Usman Buzdar, Pervaiz Elahi endorse budget approval process

LAHORE:Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had a meeting at the Speaker's chamber on Friday and expressed satisfaction over completion of the budget approval process for the financial year 2021-22. Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat, Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti and principal secretary to the chief minister were also present.

The chief minister appreciated the role being played by PA Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to conduct the session in the best of manner.

"You have conducted the proceedings in the best of manner and in accordance with the parliamentary traditions," the chief minister mentioned and added, "The cooperation extended by party members and allies is exemplary and I deem it fit and proper to thank you by visiting your chamber. "It was sanguine that the members took keen interest in approval of the public-friendly budget and the Punjab was moving forward on the road to development, he added.

He said the past governments left problems; however, the PTI government was moving the province forward towards prosperity. Ch Pervaiz Elahi said the assembly was the centre of hopes for the people and parliamentarians should focus on solving public related problems. "I have succeeded in best handling the session with the cooperation of the parliamentarians," he added.

SACM: Usman Buzdar on Friday said that the opposition was in a state of shock over a balanced and development-oriented budget presented by the PTI government.

Talking to Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan who called on him at the assembly chamber, the CM stressed that anti-development politics would not work anymore as development-centric political principles would prevail in the country.

“The opposition has no future while enemies of development and prosperity of the people are our enemies,” he added. The SACM appreciated the composite development strategy of the chief minister. She asserted the court decision was writing on the wall for the PML-N’s absconding leader and his cronies. These people would remain a looter and the world had also witnessed their loot. The forgeries of the so-called Khadim-e-Aala were fully exposed before the public. Similarly, the politics of Maryam Safdar had come to an end, she added. Chief Whip Syed Abbas Ali Shah MPA was also present.

Reviews law & order: Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting at his office to review the overall law and order situation in the province including the investigations of the Johar Town blast. Inspector General of Police Punjab Inam Ghani, Additional IGs of CTD, Special Branch and others attended the meeting. The chief minister termed the Johar Town blast a test case for the law enforcement agencies and directed them to move forward in an organised manner. Every step should be taken for saving the lives and properties of the people as the police had an obligation to efficiently perform their duties, he stressed.

A report was presented during the meeting about the progress made in the investigations of the Johar Town blast. The CM expressed his satisfaction and directed to employ scientific methods.

He directed to increase police patrolling in the city. The law enforcement agencies should take every step to foil the nefarious designs of the anti-state elements, he said. The terrorists playing with the lives of innocent people deserved exemplary punishment; he said and vowed that the facilitators, as well as the perpetrators of the crime, could not escape exemplary punishment.