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Musharraf’s uniform should not be made a political issue: CM

* Chief minister says Musharraf restored democracy
* Development work being carried out in Ferozanwala

Staff Report

LAHORE: Some political elements are trying to trigger a controversy about President Pervez Musharraf’s uniform, the man behind Pakistan’s progress and responsible for restoring democracy, said Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Thursday.

Elahi said that such quarters were trying to make the president’s uniform a political issue, but they themselves did nothing for people nor the October 8 earthquake victims.

The government had spent Rs 3.85 billion on development projects in Sheikhupura over the last three years, he said at public meetings at Sharaqpur Sharif and Ferozewala. Sheikhupura District Nazim Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri, Members of Provincial Assembly Rao Jehanzeb Khan and Syed Ali Abbas Gul Agha, Ferozewala Tehsil Nazims Rana Anwarul Haq and Shahid Manzoor Gill attended the meetings.

The chief minister said that Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had launched a programme to rehabilitate the victims.

The president’s policies had resulted in more resources being available to provinces, speeding up development work and improving the living standard of people, he said, adding that Punjab’s role in relief operations had been widely praised.

He said the government was working for the education sector’s development to alleviate poverty. He said that the programme to introduce reforms in the education sector was successful, therefore the government had decided to extend the programme to 10 years. Under the education reforms programme, necessary facilities were being provided to schools, middle schools in Punjab were being upgraded to high schools and students were being provided free textbooks. He said that a health sector reforms programme had also been launched to offer modern health facilities to citizens.

Under the Punjab government’s ‘Support a Family’, several local and foreign donors were contacting the government to help victims, Elahi said and added that the programme would benefit thousands of victims. The chief minister said the Punjab government had sent relief items worth Rs 2 billion to the affected areas.

He announced that degree colleges for girls and boys would be established at Sharaqpur. The government was building a bridge to connect Sharqpur to Jaranwala, repairing Lahore-Jaranwala Road, establishing a college at Kot Abdul Malik and constructing tehsil headquarters hospital in Ferozwala, he added. He said that Ferozwala was a backward area but the government was trying to develop it. The chief minister announced that sewage systems would be built in Kot Abdul Malik and Ferozwala.

Sheikhupura District Nazim Mian Jalil Ahmad Sharqpuri said the chief minister was organising the Pakistan Muslim League.

MPA Syed Ali Abbas Gul Agha said that work on Ferozwala’s infrastructure was being carried out and several development projects were being completed.

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