LAHORE: PML-Q senior leader Pervaiz Elahi has challeneged Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for an open debate for his steps that have burdened the province under a heavy debt.

“Billions of rupees loss has been caused by the Shahbaz Sharif and company to the provincial exchequer by stopping incomplete projects of my tenure,” former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi told a news conference at the Muslim League House here on Wednesday.

He presented comparative facts and figures of every sector of his government in Punjab (2002-07) and 15 years of Shahbaz.

He said the chief minister’s claim that his government had completed incomplete projects of the previous government was a lie.

“In fact the projects of our time have become target of vindictive attitude and ego of Shahbaz. By scrapping our projects and launching its flop schemes, the PML-N government has caused a loss of billions of rupees to Punjab,” he said.

He regretted that funds already used on the public welfare projects in his tenure had been wasted. “Whenever the work will be resumed on them the cost may escalate manifold,” he said.

He said Shahbaz had stopped free education, free medicines, subsidy to farmers, patrolling posts petrol, journalist colonies, funds for the backward areas, grants for the bars and free treatment of lawyers.

“Shahbaz had wasted all funds on ‘jangla service’ like show piece projects. The jangla bus service is being given a subsidy of Rs12 billion annually. This is going to be the PIA of Punjab because the airline incurs a loss of Rs10 billion every year,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014