Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bukhari on Monday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had nothing to show the public in terms of performance.
She said this while talking to the media outside the Punjab Assembly alongside Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, said a press release issued here.
She said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government allocated only Rs 100,000 per project for 189 projects and merely Rs 10,000 per project for 177 projects in its budget, raising serious questions about its commitment to development.
Azma Bukhari said, “Despite grand claims of change, people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain deprived of basic facilities, and in some areas, residents are still forced to cross rivers using traditional carriers.” She further stated that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had demonstrated that the impossible can be made possible, and today the entire world and international media acknowledged their leadership and role. Referring to recent global developments, she expressed hope that recent agreements would prove lasting and would contribute to peace and stability not only in the region but throughout the world.
The minister said, “The Punjab Assembly is currently holding budget sessions, which are an important stage in public service and development planning.” She regretted that instead of engaging in meaningful debate on the budget, the opposition had limited itself to social media propaganda and political sloganeering.
Azma Bukhari said that the incumbent government had taken significant initiatives in areas such as agriculture, health, education, livestock and other sectors, which were bringing visible improvements for the public. She added that the Punjab government’s “Suthra Punjab Program,” educational scholarships, and laptop schemes were benefiting citizens across the province without discrimination. Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, record investments and practical measures had been undertaken in the agriculture and livestock sectors.He stated that the agriculture and livestock budget, which stood at Rs 42 billion in 2021–22, had increased to Rs 116 billion in the current fiscal year. Furthermore, 98% of the agricultural budget and 93% of livestock funds were utilized in the previous fiscal year. He said that Rs 8 billion was allocated for the restoration of 700,000 acres of flood-affected land, while wheat farmers received financial assistance worth Rs 15 billion. A total of 30,000 Green Tractors had already been distributed under subsidy programs, and another 20,000 tractors would be provided.
Under the Kisan Card program, interest-free loans worth Rs 250 billion had been issued, and an additional
Rs 200 billion would be provided this year. To combat smog, 5,000 Super Seeders were distributed, resulting in a reported 70% reduction in smog-related impacts. He said, “Another 20,000 Super Seeders are planned for distribution next year.” The government established four Agri Malls, through which agricultural products worth Rs 4 billion were sold, and ten more Agri Malls were currently being established. In the livestock sector, 400,000 animals were fattened.
