LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Wednesday.

During the meeting the situation after clash between two student groups in Punjab University was also reviewed.  The higher education minister and PU VC briefed the meeting about the incident. Addressing the meeting, the CM said legal action would be taken against troublemakers.

“Educational activities should continue in a peaceful environment and legal action should be initiated against the elements responsible for violent clash between student groups. Nobody is allowed to ruin the educational environment of a prestigious institution. The rule of law will be upheld at any cost,” he said.

The chief minister went on: “Indiscriminate action be initiated against the elements responsible for disturbing the educational process of the university and directed that effective measures should be adopted to curb occurrence of such incidents in future. In this regard, transparent composite strategy should be devised.

Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Ayub Gadhi, Raza Ali Gillani, Jehangir Khanzada, Adviser Rana Maqbool Ahmad and senior officials attended meeting.

Meanwhile, the CM lauded the lawmen who arrested Zainab’s killer. He said Punjab government announced a cash prize of Rs10 million to identify the culprit and now this amount will be divided among the members of team that identified and arrested the criminal. The committee will soon finalsze and present its recommendations, said the CM.

Also, the CM expressed deep sense of sorrow and grief over the death of four persons of a family in a road accident near Batapur. He has extended sympathies to the bereaved family and sought report. He directed that the accused driver should be immediately arrested and legal action be initiated against him.

In another meeting, he reiterated his resolve to punish mill owners for exploiting sugarcane growers.

“Hard work of sugarcane farmers will not let go down the drain. The sugar mill owners will be arrested and sent to jail if found procuring sugarcane at low rate. No leniency will be shown to anybody,” he said . He asked the millers to mend their ways as soon as possible otherwise standing by the side of the sugarcane farmers he will go to every extent to protect their interests.

He asked the officials to initiate immediate legal action wherever complaints about purchase of sugarcane at low-rates are received. He further said that concerned provincial ministers and secretaries should remain available in the field to protect the interests of the farmers and submit their reports to his office every day.