SARGODHA: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif reiterated on Saturday that Imran Khan had levelled false allegation against the Sharif family about Rs10 billion offer ahead of the Panama Papers case verdict.

“He (Imran Khan) will cut a sorry figure just as he is facing embarrassment in other cases,” the chief minister said at a function the University of Sargodha (UoS) had arranged in connection with disbursement of cheques to students under the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF).

He once again said he would file a lawsuit against Imran Khan for defaming the Sharif family. He said he would request the court to conduct day-to-day hearings on the pattern of the Panama Papers case and “I will leave politics if Imran Khan proves that any member of the Sharif family has ever offered him bribe.”

Says he will seek daily hearings in lawsuit

Speaking on the subject of education, he said Rs11 billion PEEF scholarship had been given to 198,000 students across the province and that he wanted to double the figure of the beneficiaries. He announced Rs5 billion in the next budget to be given to students under the PEEF; the budget would be increased to Rs23 billion.

Mr Sharif also announced a basic health unit (BHU) in a village. He set up a committee to submit progress report of the university every three months.

Among other pledges, he said Metro Bus would be launched in Sargodha. He assured a delegation of the District Bar Association led by Rao Fazlur Rehman that he would look into the call for setting up the Lahore High Court bench in the district -- a demand for which the lawyers have been observing two-day weekly strike for long.

There was a bit of disappointment for people as the chief minister did not announce funds for various projects. MNA Chaudhry Hamid Hameed had announced a few days ago that the chief minister had approved construction of an underpass and the Municipal Corporation mayor had also told people that the CM had approved construction of a four-storey plaza at the TMA office.

Speaking to delegations, Mr Sharif claimed that there would be no more loadshedding by the end of this year. “Billions of rupees are being invested in electricity projects,” he said.

He inaugurated Fountain House which was built in 2015 over 56 kanal. Dr Amjad Saqib briefed the chief minister on the functioning of the institution, where 50 people were getting free treatment.

Some people claimed that the government functionaries and police remained busy in making arrangements for the chief minister’s visit and no one bothered to shift the body of an unidentified man lying in front of a commercial centre to morgue during the last few days.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2017