Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday that it was unfortunate that people had failed to realise the potential Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar had, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of south Punjab secretariat in Multan, he said he wanted to tell people as to why he had chosen Sardar Usman Buzdar, who he said was frequently the subject of severe criticism, for the post of Punjab CM. “This is because contrary to former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif who would merely show off, this man has delivered,” he explained.  

PM Imran said although CM Buzdar joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) at latter stages, but he wanted that man to head the Punjab government who would not make assets abroad; who would be committed to this country; who would not fly to London every now and then on one pretext or the other. “I wanted that person to lead Punjab who could develop the province as per my vision,” he added.  

The prime minister said when he asked CM Buzdar to build shelter homes for the homeless, he built the structures in no time. “Similarly, he also introduced other people friendly projects,” he said, and added, “Now Punjab has become the first province to have introduced Kisan Cards.”

He informed that everybody in Punjab would have a health card by the end of this year.    

PM Imran regretted that in the past the budget allocated for south Punjab was spent on the posh localities of Lahore.  

The prime minister said a few days back, a religious party resorted to violence to demand expulsion of France’s ambassador from Pakistan. “I also get hurt when I learn about blasphemous remarks or caricatures of the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” he said, but added his way of handling the issue was, however, different.

Giving details of his plan to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, he said he would try to make Western countries understand that showing disrespect towards Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was not acceptable to the Muslims. “By the time, PTI completes its term in office, there will be a realization in the West that passing blasphemous remarks against the last prophet was by no means ‘freedom of speech’, but these, in fact, offended the Muslims,” he hoped.   

Earlier, Punjab CM Sardar Usman Buzdar said the provincial government had allocated 33 per cent of the total budget for south Punjab.  “This day is a historic for Multan because today I will announce Rs34 billion worth development projects for the city,” he disclosed.

He said today foundation stone of south Punjab secretariat had been laid. “Give us time for laying the foundation stone of secretariat in Bahawalpur,” CM Buzdar said.

He claimed that the provincial government was completing projects worth Rs1,300 billion which the previous government had left unfinished.   

The chief minister appealed to people to cooperate with the Punjab government in battle against the coronavirus pandemic.   

He informed that a separate services tribunal was being built for south Punjab while a separate drug court would also be set up.  

Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he saluted Prime Minister Imran Khan for his struggle for a corruption free Pakistan.  

He said today was a historical day. “Following the end of One Unit in the country, passage of the 1973 constitution if anybody has taken any step for restructuring of the country’s federating units, it is PM Imran,” he added.