FAISALABAD, Pakistan: The Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif Saturday inaugurated multi-billion projects and announced an IT University and Metro Bus projects for Faisalabad.
While addressing the workers’ convention at Iqbal Auditorium of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), the said that the work on the projects would be launched during the current year.
The Chief Minister that he had already inaugurated first phase of 1000-bed Children’s Hospital.
“Orders to purchase machinery for this project had already been placed while process for the recruitment of doctors had also been started,” he said.
Shahbaz Sharif said the project would be completed in September this year, adding “we want the best available staff of international repute be made available for best and state-of-the-art medical facilities to the children in the hospital”.
The Punjab Chief Minister said that Faisalabad was one of the major industrial hubs of Pakistan where the government was providing best possible civic amenities to the masses of the City.
Citing Rs 12 billion Safe City Project for Lahore, he said that the project would be replicated in Faisalabad and its foundation stone would be laid during this year.
Regarding farm-to-market roads, the Chief Minister said that these link roads would be completed with Rs 90 billion by June this year.
Shahbaz Sharif said that old vegetable market of Faisalabad had been shifted to Sadhar.
The Chief Minister announced to construct a state-of-the-art IT University at this place. He said that Canal Express Way had already been completed and now he intends to launch Metro Bus Project to provide best transport facilities to the people of Faisalabad.
The Punjab Chief Minister termed it a gift from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the work on this project would be started during this year.
Moreover, the Chief Minister was critical of the elements who were dubbing Lahore Metro Bus as ‘Jangla Bus’. They did level allegations of corruption but after four years of sit-ins, lockouts and protests, now they had been forced to start Metro Bus Project in Peshawar, he added.
“We have provided a respectable mode of communication to the poor people of Pakistan and they can travel in a respectable way by paying only Rs 20 to any part in cities of Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Multan”, he added.
Shahbaz Sharif said that under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project, billions of dollars were being invested.
The Chief Minister Asif Ali Zardari was apparently trying to ‘highjack’ credit of this mega project, by claiming that CPEC and Gwadar projects were initiated in his tenure.
“If these projects were initiated by Asif Zardari, then how he forgot to lay the foundation of these projects during his tenure”, the Chief Minister asked the question.
“Don’t befool the nation as it is fully aware of the facts that who is doing for the welfare and betterment of the country” he added.
Furthermore, he said that 7000 megawatt electricity project would be completed by the end of this year. Bhikki Power Plant of 1200 mw electricity was expected to be commissioned during next week, he added.
Similarly, Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki projects would also be completed in record period of time.
Regarding Neelum Jehlum Project, he said that the project was started in Musharraf regime in 2002 which was still incomplete.
Its original cost was Rs 80 billion which has now jumped to Rs 500 billion while it would generate only 985 mw electricity, he observed.
Earlier, Mayor Muhammad Razzak Malik and Cahudhry Zahid Nazir Chairman Zila Council also spoke on the occasion.
The State Minister for Water and Power, Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali, provicial ministers Rana Sana Ullah Khan, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Principal Punjab Medical College (PMC) Dr Sardar Zafar Al-Fareed, MNA Hajji Akram Ansari, MNA Chaudhary Asim Nazir, MNA Mian Abdul Mannan, MNA Begum Khalida Mansoor, MPA Nawaz Malik, MPA Madiha Rana, chairmen, vice chairmen and councilors of union councils and city councils were also present on the occasion.
