LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the Punjab chief minister and his cabinet to make it their first priority to identify corrupt practices and take strict action against the corrupt elements.
The prime minister gave this direction while discussing various reforms with the provincial cabinet members after his arrival at the CM Secretariat.
He said performance of the Punjab government should be an example for the rest of the provinces.
The prime minister expressed serious concern over land grabbing and encroachments in the province in general and Lahore in particular. He directed that mafias and big groups, who had been involved in encroachments and land grabbing, must be taken to task.
He directed the chief minister to immediately launch an anti-encroachment drive and take action against land grabbers, and assured his fullest support to the provincial government in that regard.
The prime minister emphasized the need for austerity and simplicity, and said that the cabinet members should set an example while remaining at the forefront to remove extravagance on taxpayers’ money at all levels.
“We must invest on human development while rationalising our expenditures simultaneously with austerity and simplicity because Pakistan has the lowest Human Development Index in the region,” a press release quoted the prime minister as saying.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar warmly welcomed the prime minister on behalf of the provincial cabinet and reaffirmed the commitment to implement Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s reforms and development agenda of a ‘Naya Pakistan’.
