From Abid Usman
LAHORE: Firing a fresh salvo at the PTI in the backdrop of the former ruling party’s recent attempt to stage protest in Islamabad and Lahore, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday said that they failed to spread “political smog” in the country.
The Punjab’s chief executive made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of “CM Climate Leadership Development Internship programme”.
CM Maryam blasted the Imran Khan-founded party for what she said promoting the culture of protests and agitation in the cash-strapped country.
She accused the former ruling party of using the KP government resources for the protest and said: “Government employees and official vehicles were brought [to stage protest in Islamabad]. “PTI’s agenda is to create chaos,” she said, asking what the opposition party was showing to the world.
“Neither they work nor let others do their work,” the Punjab chief minister said while raising questions over the performance of the KP government. “We will not let the country fall come what may,” she added. The chief minister also slammed the PTI’s “Billion Tree Tsunami” project.
Referring to the smog issue in Lahore, the chief minister stressed the need for climate diplomacy with India.
Lahore remains one of the most polluted cities of the world as the main reason for the spread of smog in the mega city was the burning of residues of crops in Indian Punjab.
The chief minister said that they were monitoring the smoke emitting vehicles and issuing fitness certificates.
Stressing the need for effective measures, CM Maryam said that the smog could not be controlled by merely “pressing a button”.
Highlighting her efforts for the environment, the chief minister said that the PML-N government has activated the environment department.
Earlier. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated Chief Minister Transport Programme for Women with 76 buses for girls’ colleges in the province. In the first phase, 19 buses were given to women’s colleges. The chief minister handed over the keys of buses to the principals of 19 colleges.
She inspected the buses and evaluated a proposal to provide air-conditioned vehicles for the girls’ colleges.
During a briefing by Punjab Higher Education Secretary Dr Farrukh Naveed, the chief minister was informed that buses would be provided to 76 colleges in three phases.
In the first phase, buses have been given for 19 tehsils deprived of transport — Bhakkar, Sialkot, Chiniot Kamalia, Hasilpur, Malakwal, Ferozewala, Shorekot, Jatoi, Fateh Jang, Hasan Abdal, Kot Momin, Jalalpur Pirwala, Kallar Syedan, Pindi Ghep, Manchanabad and Sharqpur.
In the second phase, the girls colleges of Nowshera Virkan, Dina, Yazman, Pindi Bhattian, Lalian, Bhawana, Kot Addu, Taxila, Sarai Alamgir and Pelaan will get buses. Allama Iqbal Town Lahore, Isa Khel, Raiwind and Sohawa girls colleges will also get buses by February 2025. By April 2025, buses and 32 coaches will be provided for 35 more tehsils.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities concerned to redesign the incentive package for foreign investors during a meeting with Portugal’s ambassador.
