LAHORE: The PPP’s Parliamentary party in Punjab Assembly has written a letter to PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif asking him to provide guidance and leadership to Punjab government for implementation of its 19-point agenda to ensure good governance in the province.The contents of the letter were made public at a news conference addressed by Punjab Senior Minister, Raja Riaz alongwith other PPP Ministers at his residence on Thursday. Ashraf Sohna, Farooq Yousuf Ghurki and Dr Tanvirul Islam accompanied him. Raja Riaz told reporters that following a dismal response from Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to address peoples’ problems, his party had decided to seek PML-N Quaid’s help by identifying 19 major problems faced by the people in Punjab.He complained that despite sincere cooperation from PPP side, Shahbaz Sharif had failed to resolve peoples’ problems, who, he believed, were unhappy with the Punjab government.‘In view of growing price hike, deteriorating law and order situation, increased number of dacoities and thefts and other numerous issues, it has become essential that Nawaz Sharif should provide guidance and leadership to Punjab govt’, he said.‘I am attaching some suggestions in the form of 19-points and as you expect implementation of certain things from Federal government for welfare of the people, I hope you will play your due role in Punjab as well’, reads an extract from Raja Riaz’s letter written to Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Raja said PPP had given no deadline for implementation of its 19-points because his party had no personal or political motives behind the underlined problems.The 19-points as highlighted by PPP include:1-Termination of corrupt provincial ministers whose departments had been reshuffled in the past; 2-Empowerment of ministers and holding of monthly review meetings to evaluate performance of departments;3-Periodic Cabinet meetings as required under the Constitution; 4-The formula for allocation of funds as agreed between the two parties be implemented in letter and in spirit; 5-Process of appointments in Zakat and Market Committees be made transparent and people with impeccable integrity be appointed to fill the slots; 6-Reasons behind failure of sasti roti scheme and food stamp scheme be made public and looted money be brought back from responsible persons; 7-Immediate steps should be taken to tackle ongoing financial crisis in the province and action should be taken against those responsible for the financial mess;
8-The process of all ongoing and future development projects be made transparent by taking the Cabinet into confidence; 9-All corrupt and inefficient officers in Punjab be identified and punished besides observing the principle of merit and seniority in postings and transfers of officers; 10-Certain actions taken to benefit certain persons during the floods be identified and action should be taken; 11-Effective measures should be taken to check growing incidents of ransom for kidnapping, dacoities and thefts besides formulating a comprehensive strategy to prevent these crimes in future; 12-All political appointments made in autonomous institutions be undone and rules be followed in this regard; 13-All task forces be dissolved and their funds be spent on public welfare; 14-The trend of changing political loyalties in Punjab must be discouraged by implementing CoD;15-Toeing the footsteps of Federal government, all women legislators in Punjab be allowed to identify development schemes; 16-Local Bodies elections should be held immediately so that benefits of local governments could reach the people; 17-Essential commodities be made available for the poor by evolving an effective price control mechanism; 18-All DCOs should be asked to ensure minimum wages amounting to Rs 7000 to the labourers and 19-Provincial Ministers should be allotted 10-marla houses as official residence and the remaining amount be spent on the welfare of class-VI employees – Nation
