LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif Wednesday said the Liberty Park and Ride Plaza equipped with latest facilities, the first in Pakistan, was a masterpiece, which could be compared with other similar structures in the developed countries. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the plaza, built at a cost of Rs750 million, which also houses 80 shops. PML-N leader Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Punjab ministers, members of national and provincial assemblies and a large number of businessmen were attended the gathering. Best-available facilities like modern elevators, latest equipment and security system has been provided to the citizens in the Liberty Park and Ride Plaza. Describing the construction as an example for other cities of the country, Shahbaz said the shops would be auctioned openly in a transparent manner while five of them would be reserved for poor and destitute families. He said instructions had been issued for constructing ten more parking plazas in different parts of the metropolis within a year, adding that the construction work of parking plazas at New Anarkali and Barkat Market would start within 20 days while another was planned at The Mall. The chief minister also said a plan for constructing cricket grounds on the vacant land in the city would be presented to him within three weeks. He said modern infrastructure was of paramount importance for the speedy development of the country and the Punjab government had paid special attention to its improvement. Citing Lahore-Kasur Road and Ring Road projects as example, Shahbaz said during previous regime, the earnings of poor were ruthlessly looted in the name of development projects, adding that the corrupt and dishonest people escaped from the country after accumulating ill-gotten wealth. We have transformed these projects of billions of rupees into the public welfare ventures for the benefit of people, he remarked. He also stressed the need of making the people, who were deprived of their livelihood, a part of the projects evolved for the progress and prosperity of the society, saying a mechanism would soon be evolved for the purpose. The chief minister said the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), which had become a dead horse, was now turned into a vibrant institution, as evident by the timely and quality construction of the project. He congratulated DG LDA Omar Rasool, Consultant Ahmad Mukhtar and Contractor Wasim Khan on the execution of this important public project. Omar Rasool in his welcoming address informed the audience that the plaza had a parking capacity for 308 vehicles in the upper floors while shops were constructed at the basement, ground and first floors. He further said special security arrangements had been made in the building where scanners, close circuit cameras, fire alarm and public address system were installed. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated and inspected the Liberty Park and Ride Plaza.