The participants of 106th National Management Course called on CM Punjab

Lahore : Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that we are all Pakistanis and we are very much indebted to our motherland. We need to pay off this debt with our collective hard work and untiring efforts. During the last 70 years, we have collectively been unsuccessful in justifying our positions. Nor we have given a country to our children which they duly deserved. The soil of our country is questioning this thing to us even today. During the 70 years, we have more failures than successes. If Pakistan is lagging behind, then no single person is responsible, but the responsibility lies on all of us. Politicians, generals, judges, bureaucracy, elite of the society and we all did not did justice to Pakistan. Whether there were political governments or it was dictatorship, no one came up to the expectations of the nation. Even after the passage of 70 years, we are scuffling with each other, while this holy land is asking us to pay back her loan. We collectively have to work for the motherland and stand shoulder to shoulder for the prestige and honor of the country. If we become united today then Pakistan will surely regain her lost status in the comity of the nations.

The Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed these views while delivering his keynote address to the participants of 106^th National Management Course who called on him at Model Town, today.

The Chief Minister said that socio-economic discrepancies have created differences and termed the socio-economic inequality as a major hurdle in development of the country. Pakistan shall not progress unless and until the children of poor and the rich don’t get equal rights and identical opportunities to excel in life. It is all the more important that everybody should have equal rights and opportunities to move further and the disparity between the children of the poor and the rich must be eliminated, he added.

While addressing the officers, the Chief Minister said that their role is very much pivotal in dealing with different challenges being faced by the country. “You should perform your duties with hard work, commitment and passion.”

To a question, the Chief Minister said that local bodies system is the best mechanism to solve the problems of the people at the grassroots; adding that local bodies are an important pillar of the democratic system as the people get best facilities through this tier of the government. Unfortunately, the dictatorships used these bodies to prolong their tenures and Musharraf regime is the worst example of it, when these local bodies were used for personal gains without ensuring effective monitoring and a system of check and balance. We have given an effective and active local bodies system and these institutions have also been strengthened economically as well as administratively. These institutions have been empowered through the provision of sufficient resources and steps have also been adopted to improve their capacity building.

He told that Punjab government has provided ample development funds to local bodies and these funds cannot be utilized for any other purposes. Meanwhile, the government is also giving special attention to improve the capacity building of the local bodies, so that provision of best services to the people at their doorsteps could be ensured. The Punjab government would fully support the local governments that would show exemplary performance in public service and will also timely utilize their funds, he added.

The Chief Minister told that unprecedented steps have been taken to improve the quality of life of rural population. During the last four years, as much as Rs. 65 billion has been spent on construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads. And, this is the largest program of construction and rehabilitation of rural roads in the whole country. Implementation on this wonderful program of roads construction in rural areas has helped to improve the rural lifestyle as they have now been provided with best facilities at their doorsteps.

He said that effective measures have been taken to provide quality healthcare facilities to the rural population. In 2010, six mobile hospitals were given to southern Punjab districts and these hospitals are successfully providing quality healthcare services to the rural population at their doorsteps. This year, 15 more mobile hospitals are being acquired, while during the next fiscal year, it has been planned to procure hundred more mobile hospitals. This way, mobile hospitals will provide latest healthcare facilities in the rural areas in place of RHUs and BHUs, he added.

The Chief Minister told that a mega program of providing clean drinking water to the rural population has also been finalized. This program is being launched from 37 tehsils of southern Punjab and the scope of this program will be extended to the whole of the province.

He hoped that provision of means of livelihood to the rural population at their doorsteps will help to discourage the trend of urbanization. However, more practical steps are needed to be taken in this regard, he added. He said that the rural population will be provided earning opportunities at their doorsteps along with adoption of steps to empower the rural youth.

He told that a comprehensive mechanism has been adopted for the development of rural sector & prosperity of the farmers and the results of these steps, adopted by the government, have started bearing fruits. It is sanguine that bumper wheat crop has been produced this year, he further told.

Shahbaz Sharif told that all the record of rural lands has been computerized by the Punjab government and this has benefitted crores of people. Now, the ownership deed can be secured in just 35 minutes; while the process of transfer of land is completed in 45 minutes. In the next phase, the system of Gardarvi will be computerized. He told that Land Record Information Management System has eliminated corruption, forgery and fraud. This system has also eliminated the patwari culture. However, some officers tried to include tehsildars in this system; strict action has been taken against such officers and cases have been registered. He said that it is a wonderful system which should be implemented in the whole of the country. He said that Khidmat Centers have been established to provide services to the people and told that he has been regularly monitoring the implementation of this new system. Punjab Land Record Authority has been established to implement this program. He observed that required targets can be achieved through effective monitoring and check & balance based system. He said that the system of Khidmat Centers will be devolved up to tehsils, sub-tehsil and union council levels so that the people could be fully facilitated. He disclosed that this latest system will be very useful during natural calamities and added that Land Record Management Information System has also been utilized during the wheat procurement campaign.

To another question, he told that Pakistan is the only Islamic country with nuclear power and this ability is a story of bravery and commitment of the nation. All the political governments, institutions as well as the whole nation was unanimous in making the country a nuclear state and due to this collective approach and commitment of the nation, the defense of Pakistan has become impregnable due to its strong nuclear deterrence. “Now, no enemy can see towards Pakistan with an evil eye and I am of the opinion that collective approach is the way forward.”

He lamented that Pakistan is a nuclear power but the desired targets in health, education and other social sectors have not been achieved due to nepotism, corruption, non-professional approach and lack of commitment. He said that teamwork, hard work and collective approach is the power behind timely, transparent and quality completion of development projects in the Punjab. People living in different provinces will have to jointly work to make the future bright and to restore the honor of the green Passport. This will not happen through sermons, but will be possible due to collective efforts and hard work, he told.

To another question, he said that lack of nutrition in kids is a big challenge which was ignored in the past. Children are our future and their secure upbringing is our responsibility. Punjab government has taken effective steps and World Bank is an important partner in this regard. Sufficient resources have been allocated for this purpose in next fiscal year as provision of quality healthcare services is our first priority and effective strategy has been adopted for the betterment of health sector. He told that a program to control and treatment of hepatitis has been furthered. The pioneering state-of-the-art hepatitis filter clinic is fully functional in Lahore; such filter clinics are being established in 36 districts and the job will be completed by September, this year.

The Chief Minister further said that we have remained unsuccessful in fulfilling our obligations as politicians, judges, officers, investors and traders. We have not done justice with our country and with the kids; but there is no benefit of repenting on past mistakes as we should move further by learning from past mistakes, so that the objectives of the establishment of Pakistan could be achieved by working collectively.

Rector of National School of Public Policy Azmat Ali Ranjha, Dean National Management College Naeem Aslam, Faculty Members and high officers of 106^th National Management Course were present on the occasion. Advisor Dr. Umer Saif, ACS, ACS (Home), Secretary Schools Education, Chairman P&D, administrative secretaries and other officials were also present on the occasion.