LAHORE, May 5: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said Shahbaz Sharif himself is double-minded and confused about his return to Pakistan.
Talking to reporters after the inaugural session of the Punjab Health Development Forum meeting at a local hotel on Wednesday, he said the reports regarding his predecessor's return were unfounded. "We are hearing such announcements for the last three and a half years," he added.
Answering a question, he said the government was not taking any measures to prevent his return. "Nothing is happening." Regarding the prime minister's statement, he clarified that Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had not stated that the government had taken all measures with regard to the PML-N president's return. "He had stated that everything would be taken care of at its proper time."
The chief minister didn't respond to a question about the government's reaction if Mr Shahbaz actually returned as announced by him. Answering a question about the imposition of Section 144 in Lahore, he said there was no need for taking such a step. He added that the government had always given free hand to everybody.
About the flour crisis, he said the situation was satisfactory in the province, but added that a mafia had entered the flour business. He, however, said the Punjab government was sending 4,500 tons of flour to Sindh, the NWFP and Balochistan daily.
He told a questioner that the Sindh Democratic Alliance was a party of the public elected representatives and their joining of the Pakistan Muslim League would be in the best national interest. He said the title of the party would remain PML and not Muttahida Muslim League.
Regarding the progress on journalists' colony, he said he had held a meeting with the Quarter Master General on Tuesday and said that they should shift their infrastructure from the Punjab government's land on the Multan Road. "As soon as the land will be vacated, it will be transferred to the Lahore Press Club," he said.
Responding to the amendment to the entrance test policy, the chief minister said the government had decided to fix quota for students from South Punjab and other backward areas like Dera Ghazi Khan. He said these areas neither had any medical college nor proper general education facilities.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said the government had taken a number of initiatives and was working to introduce more reforms to provide prompt health care to the masses.
"The government has taken great initiatives in launching some preventive programmes with the assistance of international partners," he said at the inaugural session of the Punjab Health Development Forum meeting.
Explaining the initiatives, he said Rs1 billion had been given to strengthen emergency services in major hospitals in the province. The government was all set to launch a pilot emergency ambulance service project in Lahore by the end of this month, he added.
He said it had opened new medical colleges to expand medical education. Besides, the Multan Institute of Cardiology was being established at a cost of Rs1 billion to provide cardiac care services to people living in Southern Punjab.
The Women Health Project, he said, was also expanding services to the selected districts. He said his government had installed the first ever incinerator at the Children's Hospital to dispose of waste. He added that FCPS Part-II trainees' stipend was increased from Rs6,200 to Rs10,000.
With the help of donor agencies, the chief minister said polio had almost been eradicated from the province, as only three cases had so far been reported. Similarly, he said, TB and AIDS programmes were being operated successfully.
Pervaiz Elahi said the government was committed to providing quality and affordable health care to people. Earlier, health minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed said the health development forum had been organized to discuss issues and formulate innovative strategies, promote interaction among researchers; policy makers and managers; and to improve health and health care services delivery in the context of rapid social change.
He said the basic health units in Rahim Yar Khan were successfully working under the Rural Support Programme. He said this initiative would soon be extended to other districts. The minister said the government would start constructing a 65-bed burns treatment and re-constructive surgery centre at the Jinnah Hospital.
Later, five technical sessions were held on the themes of shaping the future of nursing in Punjab, preventive programmes, reproductive health (maternal and neonatal health), public-private partnership: health services delivery, role of NGOs in collaboration with the government, and harmonizing the support from international development partners.
