LAHORE: Chief Minister Parvez Elahi on Sunday distributed possession letters for the plots in the F-Block to the family members of the deceased journalists, announcing that the possession process to the allottees of the F-Block of the Lahore Press Club Journalists Housing Society had begun. He gave a cheque of Rs15m to Lahore Press Club President Azam Chaudhry and announced to increase the annual grant of the Photo Journalists Association to Rs1m. He administered oath to the members of the LPC Governing Body.

Addressing a ceremony organised in honour of the Lahore Press Club office-bearers and members at the CM’s Secretariat, Mr Elahi said he would ensure the system of donations for flood relief and their usage mechanism to be transparent. He wondered why Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was trying to convince the UN secretary general by holding his hand regarding the transparent usage of the funds.

“Shehbaz Sharif knows how to ask for money and the nice manner in which he can ask for money, no one else can do so,” Parvez Elahi said and added that nothing else could be expected from Shehbaz Sharif and Miftah Ismail (the federal finance minister).

The chief minister said the Punjab government was providing solar tube wells to the flood-affected farmers and Pakistani citizen and American Businessman Tahir Javed would also provide assistance for providing solar pumps to the flood-hit.

He announced a police patrol post would be set up in the Journalists Housing Society to control the land grabbers.

“A message has been conveyed to the inspector general of police that land grabbing on the plots of the members of the Lahore Press Club would not be tolerated,” he added.

Parvez Elahi announced that on getting appropriate land, Phase-II of Journalists Housing Society would be launched. He also announced a free surgery facility would be provided to the LPC members.

If there was a vacant place, he said, the allottees of the B-Block Press Club would be provided an alternate place. He said the grant amounting to Rs20m would be made a part of the budget for the club. He said the assistance would also be provided to pay the life insurance premium of the members of the club.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2022