TOBA TEK SINGH, Feb 21: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said here on Tuesday all those politicians, who were supporting violence as a means to vent anger against the publication of blasphemous caricatures, were not faithful to Islam.

“Rather they have the only desire to fulfil their vested interests and find place in the corridors of power,” he said at a public meeting at Kamalia. He, however, warned that no-one would be allowed to use Islam for political gains and the arsonists among the religious and political parties would be dealt with an iron fist.

He said Pakistan had already severed diplomatic relations with Denmark and called its ambassador back in protest. “No Muslim can even think of opposing the protest movement against the foreign media’s ugly act.”

Pakistan, he said, would also raise the issue at the global forum through the OIC.

The chief minister highlighted the government’s initiatives in several sectors and announced that all primary and middle schools would be upgraded in the next three years. He claimed that his “Parha Likha Punjab” programme had gained so much eminence that China had launched the same system in one of the provinces. President Pervez Musharraf also had asked the other provinces to follow it.

He announced Rs8 million worth sanitation machine for the Kamalia TMA, construction of Pirmahal-Bhussi, Kamalia-Mamookanjan and Kamalia-Jakhar roads, besides ownership rights to the dwellers of slums in Pirmahal.

Five-marla residential colonies for the citizens of Toba Tek Singh and Kamalia would also be established while the Government Premsati College, Kamalia, would have the postgraduate block and computer and science laboratories.

The chief minister promised funds for construction of hostel at the Government Women College, Kamalia, and a bus for its students. On the demand of MNA Riaz Fatyana, he announced a grant of Rs1 million for an Islamic NGO — Hizbur Rehman Science Academy, Qadir Bakhsh.

Addressing the PML office-bearers, parliamentarians and nazims at the district council hall, he said unnecessary opposition to the elected nazims would not be allowed.

He announced that all women members of district councils would be paid a monthly honorarium. He announced establishment of a polytechnic college at Toba Tek Singh, raising the number of beds from 40 to 100 at the DHQ hospital, launch of MA classes at local boys and girls colleges and provision of gas facility to chak 325-JB, 383-JB and 388-JB.

Construction of the Gojra-Jhang bypass and dualization of the Toba-Shorkot Cantonment Road were also approved. The under-construction Toba-Gojra Road would be completed before June, the chief minister said.

On the demand of the district nazim, he announced ownership rights to Shorkot Bazaar, Samdani Market and Jhang Road tehbazari (rent) shopkeepers.

A huge amount of Rs9 billion would be spent on the remodelling of canals, which would overcome water shortage the farmers had been facing.

At a meeting with the District Bar Association office-bearers, the chief minister announced a grant of Rs1 million for the bar and approved a residential colony for lawyers.

Earlier, he inaugurated the Rs40 million water-supply project on the Toba-Gojra Road.

It is pertinent to mention that MNAs Amjad Warraich and Farhan Latif, and MPAs Bilal Warraich, Javed Akram and Liaquat Shaukat did not attend the district council meeting as they belong to former district nazim Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq’s group. They, however, made up an appearance at the TMA function.

Pervaiz Elahi also inaugurated a hospital at Rajana built with the funds raised by the Pakistan Foundation in the UK. He also announced Rs30 million for the hospital.

Prior to that, British MP Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar demanded state land in Pirmahal for the construction of another hospital and educational institution and the chief minister responded positively.

Ms Kerry Macarthy, Lord Amir Bhatia, Khalid Mahmood and Shahid Malik also attended the function. A 60-member UK-based Pakistanis’ delegation — the hospital donors — also attended the function.

PUBLIC ORDEAL: Reports of the public ordeal poured in from many parts of the district, as buses and wagons were impounded for bringing people to the Kamalia public meeting.