Baqaul Mohsin/M Afzaal Hameed
BAHAWALPUR - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Tuesday that the Punjab government had badly failed to control crime and corruption which were a big question mark on its performance and credibility in the province.
“The devolution of power and NFC Award are the clear proof of our sincerity and we want to see Pakistan a strong force and the people prosperous. A sum of Rs1,000 billion additional amount has been given to the provinces after devolution of power while out of the amount, Rs5oo billion was given to the Punjab province only. But the Punjab government has delivered nothing in the province instead of “wasting” public wealth only in Lahore and on other unproductive projects,” said the minister, addressing a press-conference at the residence of PPP Bahawalpur Secretary Information Saleem Bhatti. He said the PPP believed in politics of reconciliation and discouraged that of confrontation, adding that strong and united Pakistan was its desire. “The PPP leadership and its governments always struggled to save the country and to promote democracy. We have sacrificed our leaders and everything to the stabilise the country and strengthen democracy as it is the best form of government,” he added.
Kaira said that his party-led government would redress the public grievances to provide them with maximum relief, adding that the PPP was the masses’ party and they were the major force of it. “We believe in public opinion and decisions and would never allow dictatorship in the country and fully resist anti-democratic actions, he said.
After coming to power, he observed, the PPP faced a many challenges and added that the government’s policies had slowly and steadily overcome a many crises and gained much success at various fronts despite criticism and strong opposition. The minister remarked that terrorism, corruption and opposition were major hurdle but because of the government’s “sincere” policies, a number of problems had been redressed.
“We respect all the institutions and want that these institutions should work according to the law within their jurisdiction,” he said. To a question regarding corruption and price hike, he said that 65 percent corruption had been reported in the Punjab where the main opponents of the PPP were ruling while the increasing price-hike was due to International market. However, he added, his government was trying hard to control the situation.
“The PPP government has increased the salaries of the employees by up to 150 percent to reduce their problems and reemployed a large number of workers of various departments, and regularised the services of contractual and daily wagers,” he noted.
To another question about the two offices of President Zardari, the minister said that his office of co-chairmanship was purely honorary while the law disallows only that post as involves salary or other financial benefits. So, he said, President Zardari had done nothing wrong by keeping the offices of the party and that of president of the country.
“We have succeeded to a great extent in curtailing terrorism activities and surely we would foil the nefarious designs of dividing the country. Organisations and institutions should stop patronising terrorists and anti-state elements.
The federal minister took an immediate action on a question about the financial crisis of Radio Pakistan, Bahawalpur and talked to PBC Director General Murtaza Solangi and ordered him to look into the issue. Later, he condoled the death of the mother of Saleem Bhatti and offered Fateha for her soul.