Rawalpindi    -    Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar laid the foundation stone of reconstruction project of Government Postgraduate College for Women, Railway Station Road in Rawalpindi on Friday.

He also announced granting Government Postgraduate College for Women 6th Road the status of Women University during a ceremony.

Federal ministers Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Amir Mehmood Kiyani, provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Samiullah Chaudhary, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad, Raja Rashid Hafeez, Raja Yasir Humayun, MPs Sheikh Rashid Shafique, Chaudhry Adnan, Ammar Siddique, College Principal Alia Suhail and others attended the ceremony.            

Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister said that the journey of public service has started and it will continue. “We will transform Pakistan according to the vision of Quaid-e-Azam. The dreams of Imran Khan and all of us will be materialised,” he added.

“We will practically perform instead of lip-service. The distribution of Sehat Insaf Cards has started in the province and people will be provided quality healthcare facilities free of cost,” he said 

The chief minister also announced different projects for Rawalpindi to the tune of billions of rupees including upgradation of Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology to the status of a cardiac and vascular diseases centre. The work on kidney hospital will be resumed as well. “Like DG Khan, Rawalpindi is my own city and there would no differentiation between the two cities. It was difficult to set up another women university in Rawalpindi as Fatima Jinnah University is already functioning here,” he said.

He announced setting up another women university in Rawalpindi and it would be a unique city where two women universities will exist. Setting up of another women university in Rawalpindi was a difficult task but its lawyer is Sheikh Rasheed, he added. He said that problems arise due to Nullah Lai in Rawalpindi during the rainy season and traffic problems along with drainage of water also arise. “I am of the opinion that Lai Expressway project is of utmost importance in this regard. We will initiate this 23-km long Lai Expressway project with a cost of Rs70 billion and it will be completed through public-private partnership.”

The chief minister also announced that the Rawalpindi Ring Road Project will be started soon. This project, which will be completed with an amount of Rs50 million, will transform the future of the city. I also visited Rawalpindi a few days ago and reviewed the public problems while moving on the road. Due to the steps taken by the PTI government, the difference will be eliminated between Rawalpindi and Islamabad and Pindities will enjoy the same facilities which are enjoyed by people of Islamabad. “I want to see Rawalpindi as a more developed and prosperous city of the country,” he added. Talking about the new local bodies system, he said that powers will be devolved at the grassroots under this system in the real sense.

The draft act of new local bodies system has been prepared which will be approved from the assembly during its next session, he said. Usman Buzdar said that 22 thousand village councils will be constituted in rural areas to solve public problems and funds, to the tune of more than Rs40 billion, will be spent on public welfare through these councils.  Similarly, 182 municipal committees will be formulated in cities.

In this system, people will be fully empowered, he added. We are moving towards new Pakistan envisioned by Prime Minister Imran Khan. We speakless and perform more, he added.

Buzdar said that Rawalpindi city will be beautified through PHA and the proper system of solid waste management and the people will perceive difference within one month. He said that we will spend funds in Rawalpindi in one year which was given by the previous government during the whole decade and Rawalpindi will be made beautiful like Islamabad. We do not have any other agenda except for public service. I have started visiting districts and tehsils and this journey of public service would continue at every cost, the chief minister concluded.

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that Usman Buzdar is the first public chief minister which travels through the train. I do not have words to thank Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for starting development projects in Rawalpindi, he added.

He said nobody could defeat daughters of Rawalpindi because they are getting higher education from the colleges and universities provided by the government. He said Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and CM Sardar Usman Buzdar are showing keen interest in bringing change in education sector. On the occasion, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced donating his residence Lal Haveli to women university.

Federal Health Minister Amir Mehmood Kiyani said that health and education sectors are the focus of PTI government and added that Usman Buzdar is serving the people in the province. Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat said that Usman Buzdar removed the difference between people and the chief ministership and he has also a strong passion for public service. Federal Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad also presented the souvenir of a model of train to the Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

“The government is working on a roadmap to build universities in all the districts of Punjab,” said Yasir Humayun, Minister for Higher Education Punjab.

On the other hand, PTI city chapter along with officials of district government has decorated all the roads and streets leading to ceremonies with huge size posters and banners of CM, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, PM Imran Khan and other leaders. The Rawalpindi Waste Management Company and cantonment authorities cleaned the roads for CM’s visit.