LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed officials to initiate a province-wise crackdown on those selling coronavirus-related medicines at exorbitant rates.

He ordered a strict action against hoarders of said medicines.

He said the administration should initiate action and submit a report to the CM Office and there should be no shortage of such medicines in an emergency situation.

He said line departments should also ensure availability of necessary medicines at fixed rates and their shortage would not be tolerated at any cost.

PRICES: Mr Buzdar asked the public representatives to monitor the prices of essential items in their districts while staying in constant contact with the administration.

Speaking to the parliamentarians, who called on him at his assembly chamber set up in a local hotel on Wednesday, the chief minister said the parliamentarians should also visit hospitals to monitor the medical facilities and encourage doctors and paramedics engaged in serving the ailing humanity. “It is time to heal the wounds of the ailing humanity and I have also visited more than 20 districts to take stock of public problems,” the chief minister said.

Mr Buzdar regretted that opposition leaders only made tall claims and they were hiding in their houses while leaving the affected people alone in this difficult moment. He said the opposition parties had weakened the national unity through their negative politics on corona and did nothing except lip-service.

“Those, who are making hollow claims, have not done anything practical for the eradication of coronavirus. It is easy to lecture but requires commitment and passion to heal the wounds of ailing humanity,” he said.

Mr Buzdar said one could make tall claims while sitting in the drawing-room but they could not perform any practical step to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. The opposition, which had left the affectees alone in this hour of trial, had actually isolated itself.

The chief minister said the country was going through unusual circumstances due to coronavirus and asked the public representatives to utilise their energies to deal with it. He said the Punjab government had increased its coronavirus daily testing capacity to 12,000.

Those who called on the chief minister included provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Muhammad Ali Raza Khan Khakwani, Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan Khitchi, Abdul Hai Dasti, Muhammad Hanif, Syed Rafaqat Ali Gilani, Khurram Sohail Khan Leghari, Sardar Farooq Amanullah Dareshk, Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain, Abdul Rehman Khan, Adil Pervaiz, Umer Farooq, Sonia Ali Raza Shah and others.

Chief Whip in Punjab Assembly Syed Abbas Ali Shah and secretary good governance committee retired Col Ijaz Hussain Minhas were also present.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2020