Ravi Riverfront, An Environmental Friendly Project: Shahbaz Gill

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Wednesday said that Ravi Riverfront Urban Development programme was launched under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to protect the environment and ensure healthy atmosphere for the people

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Dec, 2021 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Wednesday said that Ravi Riverfront Urban Development programme was launched under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to protect the environment and ensure healthy atmosphere for the people.

Talking to the mediamen at Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) Office, he said that heavy pollution of water by sewerage and industrial waste in the provincial capital was threatening the environment and health of Lahorites as the people reused this water for house hold and other purposes so it was decided to establish a new city as per modern lines.

He said that it was necessary to first treat or filter the polluted water coming from India and then let it pass before storing it into dams, so that a new city at the river side could be built, adding that for establishment of new city, land was to be acquired but the another challenge, the government has to face was the unplanned industrial zone, spreading around 40,000 kanals of land that further added to the pollution in river water, he added.

Now the 1800 industries spreading over 5,000 acres area have been taken on board these would fall in between the new city and Lahore, he said and added that in this regard, a renowned Saudi Real Estate Company led by Khalid Abdul Aziz has been agreed to make an investment of about US $ 600 million in this sector for developing the entire industrial zone near Ravi so that the industrial zone's environment could be refined on modern lines. He said that the company would also carry out work on drainage system, road infrastructure besides 1,900 apartments, six schools and a hospital of international standards would be built.

The SAPM said that the previous government launched the projects for getting the kick backs and achieving their own interests, but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government started the projects for public welfare as its projects would not damage relations with brotherly countries and interests of people. A significant improvement could be seen in the River Ravi project's development as it would attract foreign investment and play a role in Pakistan's development and prosperity, he maintained.

Shahbaz Gill said that media should highlight the project and its positive sides instead of focusing on negativity and propaganda for best interest of the people.

He said that Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed's membership was cancelled in 2015 by the PTI as he had own destructive thoughts and perceptions within the party, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan listened to him but later the whole party decided to cancel his membership because everyone in the PTI has to follow rules and regulations which he failed to do so.

The SAPM said that Prime Minister Imran Khan did not own mega properties and other financial assets as the PTI, being the party of middle class, run its affairs through peoples funds and overseas' Pakistanis contributions.

The PTI's Chairman Secretariat consisted of three rooms, a courtyard and conference hall along with few employees was established at some place of its Chairman, Imran Khan's residence and it was only used for the party activities, he asserted.

Shahbaz Gill said that in year 2013 and 2014, the monthly expense of this secretariat was Rs 70,000, making annually 840,000 rupees, which later increased to 150,000 rupees from the period 2016 to 2018 after an increase in party activities whereas the secretariat expenses were around Rs 200,000 per month in 2019 and Rs 250,000 from 2020 to 2021 as the party meetings and other activities were conducted there, he maintained.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan did not take rent or any other payments for lending his residence's place for the party secretariat, he said and added that Jehangir Tareen, in his tweet, also denied the accusations by terming them baseless. The PTI would serve a legal notice to Justice (retd) Wajihuddin so he should refrain from leveling such baseless allegations to earn cheap fame, he asserted.

The SAPM said that former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani had conducted 48 foreign visits and spent 570 million rupees while Nawaz Sharif made 92 foreign visits and spent millions of rupees. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi conducted 19 foreign visits and spent 260 million but on the other side, only 176 million rupees were spent on 26 foreign visits of Prime Minister Imran Khan, saving huge national exchequer, he added.

Shahbaz Gill said that Rs 3.6 billion were spent on eight Camp Offices of former president Asif Ali Zardari, Rs 570 million on five Camp Offices of Yousaf Raza Gillani, Rs 4.3 billion at Nawaz Sharif's Camp Offices including Raiwind, Rs 570 million at Shehbaz Sharif's two Camp Offices, however Prime Minister Imran Khan did not hold any Camp Office as he pay all expenses at his own.

The SAPM said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, after taking charge of his office, reduced the expenses of Prime Minister House from 510 million rupees to 339 million rupees, making a significant decrease of 35 percent in expenses and then taking it to 50 percent in 2020 with expenses account for only 280 million rupees annually.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had made huge struggle for the people of country as with his firm determination, he was succeeded to build Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore, Al Qadir University, National University of Modern Languages and Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital Peshawar while Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital Karachi would also be started soon, he maintained. More than 70 percent patients were getting free cancer treatment from Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital which was laudable so the opposition should avoid indulging in negative politics for their personal gains, he asserted.