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| India-Pakistan |
| 'Punjab govt has no cash to pay salaries' |
| 2010-06-05 |
| [Dawn] The Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) issued on Thursday a whitepaper on, what it called "black deeds" of the Punjab government, claiming a "total administrative and financial collapse of the province". Addressing a press conference, former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who returned recently from abroad, said the PML-N government had ruined the provincial finance and did not have money to pay salary to officials."On May 30, it had only Rs420 million in its account," the PML-Q leader claimed. "It (Punjab) sought the federal government's help, which enabled it pay salaries by transferring money to its account on the last day of the month. That is how a surplus, in every sense of the word, province has been turned into a bankrupt federating unit all because of lack of vision, egotist policies and sheer incapability of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif."Of a total development outlay of Rs175 billion, only Rs74 billion had been spent in the year, the Chaudhry said. In order to hide the `disastrously' bad performance of his government, he said, the Punjab finance minister was now saying that the development budget was in fact only Rs95 billion. "The Communications and Works Department has not submitted its annual report so far, and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has called it exceptionally low development spending year in the history of Punjab. "The total default of the province stands at a staggering Rs80 billion. And still they call it good governance," he said sarcastically. Flanked by Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and former Punjab law minister Raja Basharat, Mr Elahi said that Sharif Brothers were defaulter of over Rs4 billion to different banks. He said the Punjab government was currently raiding people's residences to recover tax on luxury vehicles, and when notices were issued to Sharif Brothers for Wealth Tax, they went to court (seeking stay orders) to avoid payment. "That is how both brothers are setting a personal example of good governance," he claimed. In the last two years, the prices of eatables had skyrocketed -- making life miserable for every one in the province, he said. The flour prices went up by 100 per cent (from Rs16 per Kg to Rs32), sugar by 168 per cent (from Rs28 to Rs75 per Kg), chicken meat by 70 per cent (from Rs100 to Rs170 per Kg), milk by 100 per cent (from Rs25 to Rs50 per litter) and yogurt by 83 per cent (from Rs30 to Rs55 per Kg). "It is a shameful performance by any standard. How one can dare call it good governance," he wondered. "In the last two years, crimes have gone up by 48 per cent, which is a matter of official record. All kinds of heinous crimes are being committed with impunity and ruling MNAs and MPAs are involved in such crimes. Extra judicial killings have also gone up. The police budget is multiplying along with the crime rate," he claimed. He said the Punjab government had turned out to be a government "for the task forces and by the task forces". According to him, there are four task forces on 'cattle lifting', three on sports and one has been created even in London for the Pakistani community. Elahi said the advocate general cost Rs700,000 per month along with two vehicles and five-star hotel stay. The Lahore commissioner is drawing a Rs340,000 salary as project director of Ring Road, Chief Minister's Task Force Chairman (Farooq Naveed) draws a Rs280,000 monthly salary, the Liquidation Board chairman Rs400,000 and AD Analysis Khalid Sherdil Rs200,000. "All these appointments are personal, but cost the province," he claimed. Calling the whitepaper the first phase of a series of such papers, the former chief minister said that the corruption of the Punjab government "would be taken up at every appropriate forum". The PML-Q leader took the occasion to condemn attack on the Ahmadis, calling it a "worst day in the history of the province". As the Punjab government was forewarned, the attack should have been pre-empted, he said. "The Punjab government is handicapped to stop such attacks as no capable officer is ready to work in the province," he said. The egotist and insulting policies of the chief minister had shooed everyone away. Mr Sharif was happy with his immature team and everyone in the province was paying the cost, he said. He supported an even-handed "operation against terrorists wherever required". |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Punjab should ask itself "What would |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-06-05 18:42 |
| #1 Sharifs crooked? Can't be... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-06-05 12:39 |