September 29, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 16, 1428

MULTAN, Sept 28: It seems the government is hell bent on naming the whole city of saints after the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) cronies.

On June 10, the Punjab government got approved a resolution by the city district council of Multan to name the Multan Institute of Cardiology as Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology.

Now, a public park in Mumtazabad, managed by the Multan city district government, has been named after City District Nazim Faisal Mukhtar. A women’s park in Hassan Parvana Colony will be called Zebun Nisa Qureshi Park. Zaib Qureshi is a PML’s member of the provincial assembly (MPA). A hall in the newly-constructed building of Multan Press Club has been named after Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi; a road has been named after Mukhtar A Sheikh, the father of the city district nazim; and a Chowk of Mumtazabad has been named after Mian Jamil Qureshi, the Mumtazabad town nazim.

The move has attracted criticism from politicians from other parties but it seems the ruling party does not take note of their criticism.

Pakistan People’s Party MPA Dr Javed Ahmed Siddiqi says the cardiology institute should not be named after Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, as he was responsible for delaying the project. He said despite the passage of four years, the government had not released funds to complete the project.

Bushra Naqvi, Jurist Lawyers’ Club, said since Multan was called the city of saints, the government had better name institutions and places after saints.

Tariq Naeemullah, Shehri Etihaad president, said the district nazim, who had claimed that he would make Multan a Paris, had failed to rehabilitate even a single road.

Babu Nafees Ahmed Ansari, PML-Nawaz MPA, said the PML people were not notational heroes and if they wanted certain projects after their names, they should fund the projects from their own pockets.

He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had spent his money on the construction of Nawaz Sharif Park in Lahore, so he deserved to name the park for him.

Psychologist Prof Irfan Ahmed Khan said that a self-conceited person could pleas himself with naming places after him.

He said personality disorder could inflict a man with self-conceit, and it was a transitory phenomenon that might be the result of social pressure.

Defending naming projects after politicians and their family members, PML’s MPA Shamim Akhtar said politicians deserved for it due to their efforts for these projects. She said the chief minister had taken personal interest in the development of south Punjab and he must be paid tribute for his efforts by naming institutes after him.