Tag: Punjab government

  • Bye Bye Buzdar? ‘Chaudhrys mulling no-confidence motion against Punjab CM’

    Bye Bye Buzdar? ‘Chaudhrys mulling no-confidence motion against Punjab CM’

    While rumour has it that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Punjab “is about to collapse”, Chaudhry brothers’ Pakistan Muslim League (PML) – a much-needed ally of the PTI on both provincial and federal levels – is mulling to get done with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s blue-eyed Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar, The Current has learnt.

    According to sources, the PML had taken after the 2018 general election a principled stance to not join hands with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) so as to not get itself labeled as blackmailers of the country’s political quarters, and had helped the PTI form its government instead.

    “Moonis Elahi had decided that the party would support the PTI in both Punjab and centre, where we are an important ally of Imran [Khan] considering how his party cannot do much with its strength in the hung houses of parliament,” party sources said.

    They added that Moonis had been commended by both his father and uncle, as well as other veteran politicians of the PML, since it was a principled stance. “But it wasn’t later that we realised we had shot ourselves in the foot.”

    “We could’ve joined hands with the PML-N and easily been handed the Punjab CM slot, but we decided to form the coalition with PTI in good faith and support Buzdar. [Punjab Assembly Speaker] Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi supported him [Buzdar] like he would support any person from his own family, but what we got in return was the fear of drowning,” they said.

    Sources added that the party was mulling to get rid of Buzdar because they were being compelled by no delivery of works in their constituencies in particular and in Punjab in general. “We don’t want to be among those lawmakers in Punjab who are drowning under Buzdar’s leadership. We do not want to lose our constituents’ support only because we contested elections with the PTI and can’t do anything for our people after coming to power.”

    When asked about how the PML was planning to remove Buzdar as the provincial chief executive of Punjab, they said, “We have the support of around 20 to 25 lawmakers from the PML-N and PTI each. A majority among the group is that of women lawmakers of the PML-N on reserved seats.”

    “We gave Buzdar multiple chances but he doesn’t care about all what we have done. He knows he doesn’t have to cave since he enjoys the support of PM Imran,” sources said, adding that the party leadership was discussing if a no-confidence motion should be tabled against him.

    “Both Buzdar and the premier know we can gather the support needed to get the Punjab CM changed, and that is why Imran has now hit at us by indirectly calling us ‘conspirators’. Although it’s not like how the PM thinks that someone in our party wants the CM slot for himself, but enough is enough.”

    ‘DO WE?’:

    Speaking to The Current, Moonis Elahi neither confirmed nor denied the claims made by his colleague on the condition of anonymity. “Do we?” he said with a winking emoji when asked about the support of around 60 lawmakers his party allegedly enjoys in Punjab.

    Responding to other queries, the lawmaker said the PML had undoubtedly formed the coalition in good faith and the party were sure about it back then, however, he did not comment over if they regretted it now.

    “We don’t want to topple Buzdar government. On the contrary, we are seriously contemplating not to support any other candidate from [the] PTI,” he said further, adding that the PML was satisfied with Buzdar.

    Moonis maintained that Imran should clearly name the ‘conspirators’, and distanced himself from any of the claims made by his colleague. “The pressure group has nothing to do with the PML. It is, in fact, supporting Buzdar.”

    The PML leader, however, said that they did not want to be among Punjabis drowning because of the PTI government. “We are an independent party that is accountable to its constituents and will keep their interest above all,” he said.

  • Widening rift? Pervaiz Elahi says coalition experience with Zardari was good

    Widening rift? Pervaiz Elahi says coalition experience with Zardari was good

    At a time when cracks continue to appear between the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said his party’s experience in government with that of former president Asif Ali Zardari, was good.

    “The prime minister (PM) doubts his allies. He doesn’t verify what he’s told. We negotiated with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and got his sit-in in Islamabad wrapped up, but instead of appreciation, we were doubted,” he was quoted as saying.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Elahi also reportedly said that his party’s experience of forming a coalition government with Zardari of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was a pleasant one.

    “Advised [Punjab Chief Minister] Usman Buzdar to not reshuffle officers in the province, and also suggested him to not block the supply of wheat from Sindh, but my suggestions were not considered by the Buzdar administration,” the Punjab Assembly speaker added.

    He also said that the provincial chief executive of Punjab could somewhat be held responsible for the poor administrative affairs.

  • Schools in Lahore to close early due to Pak vs Ban T20I series

    Schools in Lahore to close early due to Pak vs Ban T20I series

    The Punjab Education Department has announced that all schools in Lahore will close at 11 am on January 24 and 25 (Friday and Saturday) due to the Twenty20 series between Pakistan and Bangladesh scheduled to begin from Friday.

    According to reports, educational institutes have been directed to let the children leave early on Friday and Saturday.

    Meanwhile, the Lahore traffic police has also issued a traffic plan for the convenience of the citizens.

    After consensus with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Pakistan will be hosting the Bangladesh Cricket team in three different phases.

    The Bangladesh cricket team arrived in Lahore Wednesday for the first phase which commences Friday as Pakistan and Bangladesh face each other at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. All three T20I matches in this phase will be played in Lahore on January 24, 25 and 27.

    ICC officials have also landed in Lahore for the series.

    Bangladesh team will return to play 1st Test on February 7-11 and after PSL, they will return to play one-off ODI and 2nd Test in Karachi’s National Stadium.

  • Report claims Punjab’s affairs handed over to PML-Q, govt refutes

    Report claims Punjab’s affairs handed over to PML-Q, govt refutes

    Even though Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar is continuing as the provincial chief executive, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has practically taken over the slot — with its leaders holding crucial meetings and reportedly preparing a roadmap for power-sharing and distribution of development funds, a private media outlet has claimed.

    According to reports, PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi has held a crucial meeting with Punjab Chief Secretary (CS) Azam Suleman Khan and prepared a roadmap for power-sharing and distribution of development funds in the province. Moonis had also hinted at it while speaking to a private media outlet earlier this week.

    The power-sharing decision has seriously disturbed CM Buzdar, who has complained about it to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Jahangir Tareen, the report said. It added that development funds worth Rs20 billion would be released for PML-Q parliamentarians’ constituencies, and the party would also be authorised to give instructions to the bureaucracy directly.

    Tareen has reportedly accepted all PML-Q demands about power-sharing that they had made in a meeting held earlier this month, and directed the Punjab CS to prepare a roadmap in this regard, with the help of Moonis. “I even could not sleep the whole night because of this worrying situation,” the report quoted a disturbed Buzdar as telling Tareen, who is a close aide of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    On the other hand, the report added, PML-Q office bearers say “it was just the beginning”. “We don’t want to remove [Usman] Buzdar, but we can’t sacrifice the entire party and voters for this friendship. So we will try our level best to maintain each other’s integrity.”

    ‘FAKE NEWS’:

    Reacting to the report, the Punjab government has dubbed it as “baseless and factually incorrect”.

    As per the details, Punjab government spokesperson Musarrat Cheema, through a series of tweets, said that the government is “considering legal action against reporter and news outlet for such malicious reporting”.

    https://twitter.com/MusarratCheema/status/1219869773040955392

    “PTI and PML-Q have a good working relationship in Punjab and we are determined to work for the prosperity of our province under CM [Buzdar],” she tweeted.

  • VIDEO: Punjab govt sends bags of atta to PML-N Azma Bokhari’s house amid wheat crisis

    VIDEO: Punjab govt sends bags of atta to PML-N Azma Bokhari’s house amid wheat crisis

    The country is facing one of the biggest wheat crises in Pakistan’s history with a bag of atta costing a record high of Rupees 75 per KG. Amid the wheat crisis, PML-N’s member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) Azma Bokhari was engaged in a heated debate on a television talk show with the Chairman of Punjab Food Authority and PTI MPA Umer Tanveer Butt.

    PML-N’s Azma Bokhari telling PTI’s Omar Tauseef to send a bag of atta to her house since she was unable to find it in Model Town

    Azma said that there was a wheat crisis in the country and Umer refused to accept it, saying there was no shortage. Azma then said that if there was no shortage, then he could send a bag of atta to her house.

    We called Azma to confirm the following story. She says that when she woke up this morning, she was told by the cook in her house that a truck had come with bags of atta. The bags were being unloaded outside her house and her cook told her that he had bought a bag from them for Rs. 790 a bag. Others living on the street had also come by to buy bags of atta.

    Bags of atta were dropped outside Azma’s house by Umer

    Azma says that she went out and asked the people unloading the bags to take the bags and leave. They said that they had “been instructed” to leave the bags outside her house and sell it to people living in the area. She ordered them to leave her property and says that this was an attempt to “harass” her.

    But according to Food and Authority Chairman Umer Tauseef, who was on the program with Azma, they weren’t harassing her and that she is “once again, using the harassment card”.

    READ MORE: Interactive: What is this wheat crisis?

    Umer says that she asked for a bag of atta on the show, saying that people in Model Town were not finding atta anywhere. He says that there is no wheat crisis and therefore, bags are available everywhere and to prove his point, he sent bags of atta to her house so people living in Model Town could have access to it.

    When asked if PTI was trying to divert attention from the real issues, like a looming wheat crisis, he said that this was, “PML-N’s propaganda machine” at work and challenged to show him “one place where atta is not available”. He denied that there was any wheat crisis and said that the prices had increased due to the fact that the government had removed subsidies from certain forms of wheat.

    READ MORE: President Arif Alvi says he does not know who is responsible for the wheat crisis

    Umer Tanveer is denying that there is a wheat crisis but other ministers of the PTI have stated that there is a shortage of wheat in the country.

  • PM Imran praises Buzdar for project launched by Shehbaz

    PM Imran praises Buzdar for project launched by Shehbaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has admired Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar for initiating the 115-kilometre (km) long Jalalpur Irrigation Project worth $360 million after a delay of 120 years, not knowing that the project was actually conceived, planned, negotiated and approved by his arch-rival and former chief executive of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, The News reported.

    “I congratulate you all. Today, I admire Punjab CM Usman Buzdar for initiating this project. This project has been delayed for the past 120 years. I am thankful that you started this project because these projects change the lives of the people,” the premier had said at the inauguration ceremony held in Jhelum in the last week of December 2019.

    However, official documents revealed that the project was entirely planned, initiated and negotiated by the Shehbaz administration back in 2009 when the then CM had ordered its construction.

    According to reports, the feasibility work for the project was completed in 2013 and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was engaged. It takes three to four years in the processing of such projects’ planning, loan negotiation, environmental studies, population relocation plans among other.

    A mega project like the one in question needs years owing to all the necessary surveys and the completion of its designs, which were completed in 2017. All details are also documented on the ADB website.

    A copy of the loan agreement shows that it was signed by Pakistan and ADB in April 2018 by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, ahead of which, the project agreement was signed in April 2017 by the then Punjab Irrigation Secretary Asadullah with Shehbaz’s approval.

    The Punjab Annual Development Plan (ADP) approved by the Shehbaz government in its budget for fiscal year 2017-18 also reflected the project. From 2013-2018, the Punjab government spent approximately Rs2,998 million to acquire land for this project, and the last allocation of Rs600 million was made in the ADP for 2017-18.

    At the planning stage, even alignment of canal was decided in consultation with locals through the lawmakers concerned. In 2016, a number of seminars were also held in Khushab to finalise alignment as per the needs of the farmers.

    In ADP for the year 2016-2017, the engineering designs were completed. As much as Rs70 million was spent on this project by PML-N government for engineering design in 2016-2017 and Rs230 million was allocated in 2017-2018. Total expenditure made on land acquisition by the then government was Rs3 billion. A total of 8,000 acres of land was acquired by the previous government, which was a huge administrative exercise while Rs497 million was spent on the engineering design of this project. Detail engineering design took 16 months.

    The canal will irrigate 160,000 acres of land in Pind Dadan Khan and Khushab tehsil and interestingly even the people, farmers and residents of these areas are fully aware that project was initiated by Shehbaz in 2013.

    As per the official documents, the loan agreement was signed by Shehbaz in 2017 and everything was finalised and commissioned by May 2018, but now the premier has been made to believe that incumbent Punjab CM Buzdar is behind the project.

    According to ADB documents, the project is located by the right bank of River Jhelum in Punjab. It will create new non-perennial irrigation services for enhanced agricultural production in Pind Daden Khan and Khushab districts. The project will increase kharif crop intensity by 50 per cent, improve crop yield and reduce land degradation. It will directly benefit over 200,000 rural people; mostly poor.

  • Saad Rafique injured after fire breaks out in jail

    Saad Rafique injured after fire breaks out in jail

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has sustained minor injuries after a small fire broke out in Lahore Camp Jail’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) barracks, The News reported.

    According to reports, the fire broke out due to short circuit in an electric heater outside the room of former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s aide Fawad Hassan Fawad, causing panic among prisoners.

    Due to a lack of jail staff, Rafique started banging the bars of his cell and sustained a minor head injury when his head hit against the bar. The jail doctor gave him first-aid after which he was shifted back to the barracks.

    The fire was extinguished by the jail administration after switching off the main power supply in the meantime.

    According to Jail Superintendent Asadullah Warraich, it was a “small fire” that was put off by the staff and the PML-N leader got injured “because he panicked”.

  • Punjab info minister says ‘Buzdar should be praised like Sher Shah Suri’

    Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has said that Chief Minister (CM) Usman works silently without setting up any camp offices and consequently reducing the provincial government’s expenses by 60 per cent, therefore, “he should be praised like Sher Shah Suri”.

    Suri was the founder of the Suri Empire in the northern Indian subcontinent, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar.

    Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Information Minister Chohan asserted that the former government caused a loss of $21 billion to the national exchequer and more than 2,000 officials were appointed for the security of then CM Shehbaz Sharif’s relatives.

    “He [Shehbaz] had established eight camp offices but neither of them were in Lahore,” the minister said and added that Buzdar could not be compared to opposition leaders as the former had not laundered money.

    The provincial minister said that people like Tallal Chaudhry, Daniyal Aziz and Javed Latif had earlier “taken over the system”, while Buzdar’s government has recovered loans worth over Rs10 billion in one year, allocated 35 per cent budget for southern parts of Punjab and built shelter homes for the poor.

    “The CM has allocated a huge portion of funds for the development of South Punjab in the provincial budget for the first time in the history of the province.”

    Chohan said that policies pertaining to district industry and special education were approved during Buzdar’s tenure and construction of nine universities and nine hospitals had now been started.

    “Previously, every person raised slogans against neglecting South Punjab. Now, six out of nine hospitals in the province are being constructed there. CM Buzdar can be titled as Waseem Akram-Plus, if we thoroughly review his performance within over a year.”

    He said Punjab had collected 104 per cent tax revenue that increased the province’s income up to Rs75 billion and in the first year, policies for tourism, agriculture, labour, industries, water and forests had been approved in Punjab.

    The provincial minister continued that 36 bills were approved by the Punjab government for the first time in the history of the province.

    “So-called political leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had only grabbed government lands during their tenures,” the provincial government’s mouthpiece maintained.

  • Darul Aman superintendent says orphan girls being ‘misused’ by minister, govt officials

    Darul Aman superintendent says orphan girls being ‘misused’ by minister, govt officials

    Darul Aman’s Lahore superintendent has alleged that orphan girls living in the shelter homes are being “misused” to fulfill the demands of ministers and government officials.

    In a video doing rounds on Twitter, the superintendent has stated that orphan girls are being misused under the guise of giving them shelter and food.

    In another video, she has claimed that she was being pressurised by Social Welfare Director General (DG) Afshan Kiran Imtiaz to marry underage girls to fulfil demands of some higher government officials and a provincial minister.

    She added that Chief Minister’s Inspection Team was consistently pressurising her to take back her statement, and her refusal to do so had resulted in the budgetary allocations to her department being held back.

    In a recent video, the same official can be seen saying that she is facing arrest for exposing the happenings in the shelter homes as police had broken the door of Darul Aman’s Lahore office.

    In a reference to authorities and those involved, she said that they were trying to wipe out evidence and requested people to spread her message.

    She added that she did not know what was to happen to her and where she would be taken now.

    Another video — tweeted by the same handle sharing the Darul Aman official’s videos — showed police barging in through the doors, with the claim that it was being done to teach an unforgettable lesson to the official for exposing Punjab CM Usman Buzdar’s cabinet members allegedly raping orphans.

  • Punjab bans mobile phones in schools, colleges to curb drugs menace

    Punjab bans mobile phones in schools, colleges to curb drugs menace

    Punjab Education Department has reportedly banned the use of mobile phones in all public and private educational institutions across the province in an attempt to curb the growing trend of drugs among students.

    “Under the prevailing dangers of menace of drugs in educational institutions (public and private sector) and to safeguard the young generation from this curse, it is mandatory to impose [a] complete ban on the use of mobile and other sources to use social media in the premises of educational institutions across the province,” read an Education Department notification doing rounds over the internet.

    While it also called for a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 16, people are questioning if the move even makes any sense.

    Drug addiction in Pakistan has reached an alarming high within the past few decades, as according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
    (UNODC), the total number of addicts has reached 67 million.

    More than 800,000 Pakistani aged between 15 and 64 use drugs on a daily basis and an estimated 44 tons of processed heroin is consumed annually in Pakistan. According to another report, 57% of school, college and university students in Lahore are using at least one drug.