Shahbaz Sharif accepts lawsuit notice of Jahangir Tareen on May Day

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has announced that after brick kilns, children working at petrol pumps, workshops and hotels will also be brought to schools for equipping with education. He said that minimum wages of labourers will be increased from Rs.13 thousand to Rs.14 thousand from 1^st July. He said that target has been fixed to bring every child of the province to school.

He expressed these views while addressing the ceremony of launching of Khidmat Cards for financial assistance of children of labourers working at brick-kilns at Expo Center, Johar Town, today.

The Chief Minister said that he will not rest content till enrollment of last child working labour to school. He said that time has come for accountability of all without any discrimination. He said that so-called elites, after getting their loans of billions of rupees written off, will not escape accountability.

He said that those usurping billions of rupees of the poor nation will now face accountability. He said those raising hue and cry on TORs say that it will take time to hold accountable all but they should know that the list of those getting their loans written off is available and in the light of which decision will be made in half an hour.

Shahbaz Sharif said that rally of a party at Lahore is against those getting their loans written off and grabbers present in their ranks who got their loans written off and also made off-shore companies. He said a child demands resignation from Prime Minister but he should know that corruption was rampant during the tenure of his father and party and if details of corruption of only one mega scandal of his father come fore then he will go calmly to Larkana. This child has to move forward, therefore, he should talk which his party can tolerate, he added. He said that scandals of corruption of billions of rupees during the period of his father are available and he should think before speaking. He said this is time of accountability and time has come that we all should be held accountable.

He said that International Labour Day is a day of dignity of hard work. He said that International Labour Day is observed in the memory of those who earn their livelihood through hard work and play their role in the progress of the country and the nation. He said that labourers play a key role in strengthening national economy. He said it is due to labourers that the industries are giving production and crops are produced in the fields. He said that the journey of development and prosperity cannot be completed without the progress and prosperity of labourers.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab government has achieved target of elimination of child labour at brick-kilns to a large extent and so far 48 thousand children have been enrolled to schools after bringing out from brick-kilns. He said that every child is given Rs.1000 as monthly stipend while Rs.2000 have been provided to the parents of the children. He said that free books, uniform, stationery, shoes and pick-n-drop service have also been provided to the children. He said that labour is not the fate of the children working at brick-kilns but book and pen, so that they could play their role in the development of the country like other children.

He said that Punjab government has provided books and pens to the children working at brick-kilns. He said that today is the day of decision and if we have to make Pakistan a developed country, then it has to be transformed in accordance with the ideas of Quaid and Iqbal and we have to equip every child with knowledge. He said we will have to vow that we will not rest content till every child is admitted to school. He said that this step is challenging and we will have to cope with this challenge.

Shahbaz Sharif appreciated the role of brick-kiln owners and said that they extended cooperation to the government for sending children working at brick-kilns to schools and he is thankful to them. He said that if they will take one step for the bright future of the children, he will move ten steps. He said that he is ready to help them regarding their genuine demands in connection with setting up of mechanical kilns. He said that due to greed and lust for money, future of thousands of children was ruined and lakhs of children were deprived of education since the creation of Pakistan.

He said that we have to learn from our mistakes of past and if future of the nation becomes bright due to our steps then this is a great service to the nation and country. He said that now no one can deprive the children of their bright future. The future of these children will be made bright like that of children of the elite, he added. He said that the targets of the development of the county can be only achieved through hard work, honesty and education. He said that Punjab government is spending billions of rupees for schools and education of these children.

The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had promised that minimum wages of the workers will be Rs. 15 thousand by 2018 and he announces increase of one thousand rupees from July 1^st in the existing minimum wages of Rs. 13 thousand. Addressing to Provincial Minister for Labour, the Chief Minister said that he has given target to him to eliminate child labour from hotels, workshops and petrol pumps and he has to achieve it at all costs.

Speaking about political situation and accountability, Shahbaz Sharif said that earlier, Imran Khan demanded of setting up of judicial commission and now when Prime Minister has written letter to Chief Justice for setting up of judicial commission then he has started raising hue and cry on TORs. He said that the children of Prime Minister will appear before the commission and reply to the allegations in this regard. He said that everything will become clear in the investigation of the commission.

The Chief Minister said that the commission will also hold accountable those people who got their loans written off. Shehbaz Sharif said he has been talking for a number of years that those getting their loans of billions of rupees written off also called as elite today. Despite written off loans, these people have palaces, planes and large vehicles and they spend crores of rupees for going to Europe for recreation.

He said that despite getting their loans written they also make off-shore companies. He said that these people are not big but small who caused a great loss to the country by getting their loans written off. Now they say regarding TORs that a great time will require in the accountability of all while making TORs. They should know that getting loans written off and loot and plunder is a national crime and he who commits this crime should be held accountable without any discrimination. He said that no one including judges, generals, politicians, traders and bureaucrats should escape accountability.

Shahbaz Sharif said that time has come for accountability of those who have committed corruption. He said that he is also ready to face accountability. He said that Imran Khan will find around him only those who got their loans written off and grabbers. He asked Imran Khan to think before taking decision, he will become tired and Shahbaz Sharif will go to the last limit for recovering looted money of the nation from those who get their loans written off. He said those talking of accountability and corruption should know that a historic achievement has been made by saving Rs. 215 billion in the projects of federal and Punjab governments first time in the history of the country. He said that Jahangir Tareen has sent him a damages notice for ten billion rupees.

The Chief Minister expressed the hope that he will won this case and deposit ten billion rupees to national exchequer. When the facts were exposed, then Tareen said that the flats in London are of his children while Aleem Khan has declared the price of London flats as 28 lakh rupees which is very low. He asked Advisor International Labour Organization to extend cooperation to Punjab government regarding betterment of labourers. He said that instead of funds we need technical assistance and consultation. In the end, the Chief Minister distributed Khidmat Cards among the children of families of labourers.

Provincial Minister for Labour, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has always given priority to welfare of the labourers. He said that priority has been given to labourers in Daanish schools or any other programme of Punjab government. He said that effective steps are being taken for the welfare of workers and 992 flats have been constructed for labourers at a cost of three billion rupees in Multan while more flats are being constructed at Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib.

He said that hospitals are being set up in different cities for providing medical facilities to the labourers besides the number of schools of Workers’ Welfare Board are also being increased. Labour leader Khursheed Khan said that steps of Punjab government regarding labourers are appreciable. Advisor ILO appreciated the steps of Punjab government for the welfare of workers and said that Punjab is the first province which has given an effective labour policy.

Provincial Ministers Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Members National and Provincial Assembly, Labour leader Khursheed Khan, Chief Secretary, brick-kiln owners, labourers and their families, children working at brick kilns studying in schools besides representatives of ILO, UNICEF and a large number of people from different walks of life attended the ceremony.