RAWALPINDI, Aug 9: Despite reservations shown by bureaucrats over the intervention of unelected politicians in administrative affairs, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday chaired an official meeting on the uplift of scenic Murree town, grilling many for failing to complete development projects.

Heads of various provincial government departments and the commissioner Rawalpindi, DCO and officials of public health and civic agencies were summoned to the Government House in Murree for reviewing development work in the resort town where the Sharif brothers have also a house.

Among those who attended the meeting were Chairman Planning and Development (P&D) department, Lahore, Javed Aslam; Secretary Housing Sohail Amir, representatives of Frontier Works Organisation Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed and revenue officials.

Sources said the PML-N chief grilled the officials for failing to complete uplift projects in Murree and instructed them to implement the Murree Plan before the end of the current year.

The Murree Plan includes complete ban on any kind of construction in the town, revamping of roads, water supply system, construction of parks and declaring Murree as an environment sensitive area.

Mr Sharif, according to an official privy to the meeting, stressed early establishment of a nine megawatt grid station for drawing water from River Jhelum to Murree at a cost of Rs4.4 billion.

This was the second meeting of Mr Sharif with government officials about the uplift of Murree. He chaired a similar meeting in November last year while Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has so far held over 20 meetings on Murree uplift.

Bureaucrats in provincial government are quite perturbed over summoning of official meetings by a political leader who holds no public office. They confided to this reporter that the intervention of non-elected politicians in administrative affairs was beyond any logic.

Sources said Mr Sharif was briefed about the construction of roads, parks and civic infrastructure in Murree and Jicagali and about the feasibility of the Rs4.4 billion water supply project.

Punjab government has so far set aside Rs10 billion for the uplift of Murree. On the other hand, Rawalpindi city has been given only Rs3.7 billion for development projects.

Chairman P&D Javed Aslam, according to sources, approved the water supply project though it had been halted temporarily due to its high cost and consumption of electricity.

When Information Secretary PML-N Senator Mushahidullah was asked as to how could an unelected politician convene an official meeting, he argued that there was no harm in chairing such a meeting. He gave the example of Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi who used to preside over official meetings.

“I have already told you that Nawaz Sharif attaches great importance to Murree. The government officials are answerable and he (Nawaz) must ask about their performances,” he said. — Inamullah Khattak