GUJRAT: Shortage of clean drinking water, poor sanitation, a failed drainage system and encroachments are the core issues of Gujrat highlighted at a gathering of local political representatives and civil society here on Sunday evening

The sitting called All Parties Conference (APC) was convened by the Gujrat chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and presided over by its district emir Dr Tariq Saleem.

Speaking to participants, former Punjab education minister Mian Imran Masood said legislation was required to curb use of polythene bags for shopping and replacing them with paper bags across the country. He said polythene bags were the major source of choking sewerage system in all urban centers of the country and by banning them the government would be able to overcome the crisis of poor sewerage system and lack of clean drinking water.Masood, who is PML-Q’s information secretary in Punjab, said the municipal corporation was yet to set its priorities regarding resolution of these burning issues. He said there was no mechanism to dispose of hospital waste. He pointed out lack of skilled and trained human resource to run local bodies

Other participants emphasized on prioritizing resolution of the issues like shortage of clean drinking water and sewerage system.

Lack of public toilets at busy locations, shortage of graveyards, poor condition of public parks, green belts and lack of tree plantation, lack of coordination between the government departments and poor facilities at bus stands were also pointed out as other basic problems.

The meeting decided to prepare a charter of demands to put it up to the city mayor with an offer of complete cooperation from all the parties and civil society to resolve these issues.

In attendance were district general Secretary of PPP Dr Zahid Zaheer, PML-N’s chairmen from two UCs Yousaf Gull, Ashraf Rehania, Afzal Gondal of PTI, Javed Butt of Markazi Anjuman Tajaran, former chairman of Gujrat municipal committee Manzoor Dar, Akbar Ghazali of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Syed Altafur Rehman of Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Rizwan Dildar of PPP, Sanaullah Butt, journalists Basharat Lodhi and Ehsan Cheena.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2017