LALAMUSA – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Sunday said that Punjab government led by Shahbaz Sharif had failed to deliver in the province and how they could claim to change Pakistan.
Addressing a public meeting at Chakori Bheelowal, he said the Chief Minister of Punjab was holding 22 ministries alone which was contrary to his tall claims of good governance and democratic culture in the province. He criticised PML-N's slogan that they have changed Punjab and now they will change Pakistan. "Nothing has changed in the Punjab. There is corruption in every department in the province. Schools have no teachers and other facilities," he added.
Kaira pointed out that there was corruption in police stations, Patwari system and other departments. He said the corruption was ruling the Punjab province and those trying to deceive public would have to face public’s wrath in next general elections.
He said the federal government had provided funds to the provinces, but the Punjab government had spent funds only in one city. He said he wanted to ask the Chief Minister to pay attention to other cities and districts of Punjab as well.
"If all the budget of Punjab is spent in Lahore, the people of Southern Punjab will be right in raising their voice for their rights," he added.
He criticised the policies of PML-N leadership and said the Punjab government had failed to deliver. The Punjab government had wasted billions of rupees in 'Tandoors' and laptop schemes.
The information minister said the PML-N not existed in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and several cities of Punjab but had emerged as the party of Lahore and its surroundings, adding the PML-N had discriminated against the people of South Punjab.
Referring to criticism by PML-N leaders on President Asif Ali Zardari, the information minister said it is for the first time that the president voluntarily transferred his powers to the parliament and the prime minister. He gave financial resources to the provinces from the Federation.
He said Swiss cases were framed during the tenure of Nawaz Sharif. He said now the Swiss government has closed these cases and said they cannot open the cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
He said that people of South Punjab have demanded new province because the Punjab government spent all the development funds in Lahore. He said Metro Bus service project is being criticized because it consumed huge development funds. The information minister also strongly condemned police baton charge on young doctors and PPP MPA Shaukat Basra in Lahore.
Criticising further, he said the Punjab government spent Rs 120 billion on a single road in Lahore and said Sharif brothers could not get majority from Lahore after the entry of Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri. He said the coalition government has strengthened the federation by giving maximum resources and autonomy to the provinces.
He expressed the hope that the people will fully support the Pakistan Peoples Party in the coming general elections. He said he and his brother Tanvir Ashraf Kaira carried out a lot of development work in the constituency but would not ask for votes on the basis of this work. He said they would ask for votes on principles and character.
The minister said Pakistan Peoples Party has its roots in every nook and corner of the country. "PPP is the party of masses that has its roots in all the provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. He said PML-N was confined only to Lahore," he added.
He said the government took a number of steps to strengthen the basic structure of the development. He said the PPP restored the constitution of the country in true sense. He said the next general elections will be held on time in a free, fair and transparent manner. He said the elections will not be cancelled or delayed at any cost.
The people will vote those political parties who have served the country and the masses in true sense. He appealed the public to vote for the right people who are following the footsteps of the martyrs.
He said if the right persons will come to the assemblies then the country will progress.