LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan has alleged that former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif misappropriated billions of rupees of public money through more than 70 front men and 56 public sector companies.

Mr Chohan said Mr Sharif had appointed Ali Ahmad and Nisar Gill as directors in the chief minister secretariat, who used to shift money through government vehicles and then laundered it abroad through hundi.

The minister was speaking at a press conference here on Saturday flanked by Higher Education Minister Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfaraz following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directions to publicise Punjab government’s initiatives during the past 15 months.

Chohan reminded Shahbaz to file a defamation suit against journalist David Rose, who had levelled corruption allegations against the Sharif brothers. “I offer to sell all my property to help both Sharifs to hire a top lawyer to file a defamation suit against the journalist,” he said sarcastically.

Minister Sarfaraz said the PTI government had appointed vice chancellors in universities and college principals on merit, adding that only credible leaders could lead the nation. “The vice chancellors of 16 universities, chairmen of eight education boards, over 250 college principals and the Punjab higher education commission chairman have been appointed on merit,” he added.

He also said that the higher education department had developed a 10-year plan to establish a university in each district and international-level varsity at divisional level. From the next academic year, the department would introduce 150 associate degrees in arts and science programmes and the graduates would be eligible to get admission to the four-year BS (honors) programmes.

He said guidance centres would be set up in colleges and universities for career counseling, scholarships and job placement of graduates. A training programme in collaboration with an international company had been initiated in public sector universities offering training in chip designing industry.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2019