CM orders slashing transport fares by 10pc

LAHORE: On the special instructions of Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, it has been decided to pass on the direct benefit of the record reduction in the prices of petroleum products to the people of Punjab. 

Under the chairmanship of the CM, a meeting was held in the Chief Minister's Office. Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi gave a deadline of 48 hours to reduce the prices and tasked to reduce the transport fares by 10pc. Chief minister directed the provincial transport minister and the transport secretary to hold an urgent meeting with the transport owners while the provincial industry and agriculture minister SM Tanveer will hold talks with other associations. Likewise, the agriculture secretary, commissioners and deputy commissioners will also work on price reduction of daily essential items.

Chief Secretary has been given the task of reducing the prices of daily commodities. The chief secretary will hold daily meetings with the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners and review the measures regarding price reduction. Naqvi has ordered the administration to play an active role to provide relief and said indiscriminate crackdown on hoarders should continue. He said that the benefit of reduction in the prices of petroleum products will be directly transferred to the people of the province and relief will be given. It was important to give the benefit of the historical relief given by reducing the prices of other commodities to the people, he said, adding the entire team should work hard day and night to give relief to the people. Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi conducted an inspection of the ongoing Controlled Access Corridor project on Band Road here on early Monday.

He meticulously assessed the progress of this significant endeavor, spanning from NiaziChowk to BabuSabu. The Chief Minister underscored the importance of ensuring smooth traffic flow on the closed road throughout the construction phase. He emphasised that the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) should personally oversee operations and recommended deploying additional traffic wardens.

CM received a comprehensive briefing, underscoring the round-the-clock efforts being made to complete the 7.3 km long controlled access corridor within four months. The project encompasses two packages, with Package One spanning 3.65 km from Niazi to Saggian Interchange, and Package Two covering an equivalent distance from Saggian to BabuSabu Interchange.

Meanwhile, following the unfortunate incident of a rape case in Narowal, Deputy Commissioner Narowal failed to promptly respond despite explicit instructions. It was noted that the Deputy Commissioner was found in another city without proper authorization, having left the station. In light of this negligence of duty, Punjab CM has taken decisive action, promptly reassigning Deputy Commissioner Narowal to the position of Officer on Special Duty (OSD). Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a productive meeting with British Parliament Member Khalid Mehmood, delving into matters of mutual interest and exploring avenues to address the concerns of overseas Pakistanis. During the discussion, Naqvi affirmed the strong partnership between Pakistan and Britain in advancing development and prosperity.

Meanwhile, Sami Malik, Pakistan's appointed ambassador to Morocco, paid a courtesy visit to Punjab's Caretaker CMMohsin Naqvi. Extending warm congratulations to Sami Malik on his appointment as ambassador to Morocco, Naqvi conveyed his best wishes for the role.

Moreover, Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has taken decisive action in response to the delayed registration of an FIR concerning the tragic demise of a child in a traffic accident at Manawala police station, Sheikhupura. Acting on the directives of CM, IG has swiftly suspended the SHO of Manawala police station. Additionally, a stern warning has been issued to the District Police Officer (DPO) Sheikhupura.