News
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Shahbaz running ‘one-man show’ in Punjab: Taseer* Punjab governor says Shahbaz trying to attract media’s attention through publicity stunts in flood zone
* CM does not consult his ministers over crucial issues
Business Plus Report
LAHORE: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer said on Tuesday that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was running a “one man show”, as he always visited flood-affected areas alone and did not like to be accompanied by any federal or provincial minister.
“I have no objection to the Punjab CM’s visits to the flood-affected areas. However, he never takes any Punjab minister along with him, even senior minister Raja Riaz. He earlier didn’t consult the finance minister over the budget and other financial issues,” Taseer said, while speaking in a Business Plus programme ‘Newsline Plus with Shahzeb Khanzada’.
“He (Shahbaz) is always trying to get the media’s attention by tricks such as riding a motorcycle, diving in the water or by putting a Bhutto cap on his head. He is doing all this at a time when the nation is facing an unparalleled natural calamity,” Taseer said.
The Punjab governor said Shahbaz had been invited to visit the flood-affected areas along with the president. However, the Punjab CM had failed to turn up on the occasion.
“The PML-N has its own particular nature, which is that they do not to cooperate with anyone. It’s in their blood. The PML-N has a quarrel with almost every single political party, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM),” he said.
The Punjab governor also criticised Shahbaz for not filling vacant ministries. “The Punjab chief minister himself holds at least 16 portfolios. The Construction and Works Ministry, the agriculture and health ministries are very important ministries and there has to be a health and education minister, but Shahbaz Sharif is carrying on a one-man show by holding all these ministries,” the governor said.
“Sacking officials here and there in order to show one’s ‘good governance’ are mere political stunts. I praise local authorities and the local people, who are doing all they can in this time of need. I have worked with them and they are our supporters and we are cooperating with them by all means. At the same time, the Punjab government is doing nothing on the institutional level, as it has not held a single cabinet meeting in the past three weeks,” he said.
Governor Taseer said that compared with the performance of the Punjab government, the federal government had achieved a lot in the past month.
“Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani chaired many cabinet meetings and the finance minister is visiting foreign countries to raise funds for the flood victims. The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations have donated millions of dollars to help the flood victims,” the governor said.
Taseer said that non-government organisation s and the whole nation was contributing voluntarily to help the flood-affected people. “The calamity has awakened he spirit of nationalism among us. The nation has united,” he said, adding that the country would successfully deal with the crisis, as it had dealt with the 2005 earthquake.
He said that the Friends of Democratic Pakistan, Muslim countries and China had provided a considerable amount of funds to help the government deal with the flood crisis.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk