LAHORE, March 7: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said a comprehensive system of cleanliness was being launched in Lahore with the collaboration of Turk companies and a visible change in environment of the Punjab capital will be witnessed during the next three months.

According to a handout, he said Lahore was the city of gardens and its beauty would be revived to make it a neat and clean citylike Istanbul.

He was speaking at a ceremony regarding introduction of a new solid waste management regime in Lahore, at the Aiwan-i-Iqbal auditorium here on Wednesday.

Representatives of Turk companies, elected representatives, officials and a large number of citizens attended the ceremony.

The chief minister said modern machinery for cleanliness had been acquired with the collaboration a private company of Turkey. After Lahore, he said, this system would be introduced in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Multan, Sargodha, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur. He said clean environment was basic right of every citizen and collective efforts were required to make the new system a success.

The chief minister said Rs2.5 billion were being spent annually to keep the provincial metropolis clean. However, he said, the new system had been introduced with the cooperation of Turkey to overcome problems of solid waste management.

He said the Turk government and people helped Pakistan generously during relief and rehabilitation of flood-hit people by sending $200 million.

Khwaja Hasaan, who is chairman of the Lahore Waste Management Company board of directors, Lesco chief Rafey Alam, Environment Protection Fund head Zara Aslam and TV anchorperson Iftikhar Ahmad also spoke.