LAHORE: By chanting “hollow slogans” the opposition leaders were not doing any service to the country and people had no interest in their rallies.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said this during his meetings with PTI MPAs from different districts who called on him at his office here on Sunday.

The chief minister termed the attitude of the opposition “childish and inappropriate”.

He said the opposition needed to understand that people could not be served by holding “illogical” processions and rallies.

He said the opposition should keep it in mind that their wrong approach was keeping the country away from its real destination.

He said basic problems of the people were intentionally ignored in the previous regimes and they were deprived of their basic needs.

“Those who are creating hurdles in the progress and development of Pakistan are not well-wishers of the country and the nation,” he said.

Mr Buzdar said there was no room in the “new Pakistan” for those who had an agenda of safeguarding their personal interests.

He said the opposition had always misled the nation, whereas the incumbent government focused on resolving the basic problems of the people.

He said the PTI government believed in composite development of all areas and for the first time in the history of Punjab, the government had taken the development to the backward areas. “I am personally monitoring the ongoing development projects in backward areas,” Mr Buzdar said.

The elected representatives apprised the chief minister about the problems of their respective areas. Mr Buzdar assured them of early resolution of their problems.

The MPAs who called on the CM, included retired Col Ghazanfar Abbas Shah, Bilal Asghar, Mohammad Raza Hussain Bukhari and Sardar Farooq Amanullah Dareshak.

CALLIGRAPHY SHOW: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Sunday visited a calligraphy exhibition-cum-competition at Alhamra Art Gallery where art pieces of more than 400 calligraphers from across the country were displayed.

The chief minister took a keen interest in the art pieces on the theme of Ism-i-Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) that has been organised in connection with Ashra Rahmatul-lil-Alameen.

He lauded different mediums of calligraphy and gave away medals to the position-holders of the competition, including Zubair Akram, Amjad Alvi, Saeed Naz and Habib Ullah, Anwar Zaib (from Peshawar), Ammar Iqbal (from Multan) and Waqas Yahya (from Kasur).

Secretary Information Raja Jahangir Anwar presented an art piece to the chief minister.

He said the Punjab government was actively working for the promotion of calligraphy art in the province as it was heritage of Muslims.

Provincial culture minister Khayal Ahmed Kastro, Auqaf department secretary, DGPR and a large number of people were present.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2021