The 35th meeting of the provincial cabinet, which was held under the chair of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, strongly condemned the motorway rape incident and assured the victim of early provision of justice.
It expressed the commitment to early nab the accused and the CM reiterated the Punjab government will leave no stone unturned for the provision of justice to the victim. The government is in constant contact with her and early provision of justice will be ensured, he said and added that positive progress has been made and good news will be given soon. Meanwhile, CCPO Lahore has been given show-cause notice for the irresponsible statement. The IGP apprised the meeting about the progress made in this case.
The meeting approved Rs 40 as the fare of the orange line metro train after the CM rejected the proposal of Rs 50 as ticket cost. The meeting decided to give temporary powers of registration of new public transport to motor vehicles examiners besides approving the students’ promotion/examination policy 2020 of the higher education department in the wake of the corona. Meanwhile, issuance of notification of Punjab Seized and Freezed Institutions (Madaris and Schools) Act, 2019 was also approved.
The cabinet approved to introduce the uniform national educational curriculum. The uniform syllabus will be introduced from class one to five in the first phase in consultation with the federal government. Extension in the lease of Jinnah Park management at Adiala Road Rawalpindi was approved besides approval of the appointment of members of Multan Development Authority and annual PPSC report for the year 2019. Similarly, amendment in Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010 and approval of the Punjab Drug Amendment Bill, 2020 was also given. Approval was given to build a general hospital in the old food godown building in Multan and the CM directed to examine the possibility of managing this hospital project in public-private partnership mode.
The meeting approved to handover luxury vehicles of different companies and administrative departments to S&GAD pool and the possibility of the auction or any subsequent utilization will be decided later on. The appointment of unofficial members of governing body of Punjab Employees Social Security Institute, the constitution of the governing body of Punjab Workers Welfare Board and reconstitution of the board of directors of Punjab Social Security Health Management Company was approved along with the approval of annual calendar of 3rd parliamentary year of Punjab assembly for 2020-21. The meeting also approved the appointment of the principal of Kinnaird College and conditionally endorsed the decisions made in the national tourism coordination board. It also endorsed the proceedings of 34th Punjab cabinet meeting, decisions made in the 37th, 38th and 39th meetings of the standing cabinet committee for finance and development along with the endorsement of decisions made in 28th and 29th meetings of the standing cabinet committee for legislation.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that continuity of democracy ensures socio-economic development of human beings.
In his message, the CM stated that democracy plays a key role in ensuring equal rights for all. Democracy partners people in authority and provides an environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights, he said. The CM reiterated the PTI strongly believes in the promotion of democratic values and is working for the strengthening of democratic institutions at the grassroots. On the other side, India- the so-called claimant of the world’s biggest democracy, is fast eroding democracy in Occupied Kashmir, he lamented. The chief minister deplored that India has, even, deprived the oppressed Kashmiris of their democratic rights and, instead of giving any democratic right to the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir, the hindu supremacist Modi regime is committing barbaric crimes against the hapless Kashmiris. The international community should take notice of this dictatorial manoeuvring of the Modi regime, concluded the CM.
