Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will be in Lahore on Sunday to receive Punjab’s feedback on the government’s 100-day plan.
As leader of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran will also evaluate progress made by Chief Minister Usman Khan Buzdar and his team on the party’s pre-elections promises — including creation of new jobs, new housing units,a better law and order situation, and laws proposed for local governments.
According to sources, the prime minister will preside over the provincial cabinet meeting and individually monitor the first one-month performance of each ministry.
Other areas under the scanner include reforms in education, health, social security, bureaucracy and police etc.
In order to give the prime minister a befitting reception, and to complete the homework before his arrival, Senior Minister for Local Governments Aleem Khan on Saturday gave a presentation to members of the cabinet and the chief minister on the proposed draft bill for local governments and took their approval.
During his visit, the PM will also hold a one-on-one meeting with CM Buzdar and discuss matters that needed urgent attention of the provincial government, the sources further said.
Imran’s visit comes at a time when the Punjab chief minister is facing a suo motu case taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar with regard to the political intervention in administrative matters.
In the last hearing, the chief justice had warned the chief minister that he could lose his job if found guilty of exercising political influence on a police officer of Pakpattan who was transferred from his post and an incident involving the former husband of First Lady Bushra Bibi.
The apex court had ordered a senior police officer of the province to investigate the matter and submit a report.
The sources told Gulf News that Imran would also discuss a possible replacement of Usman Buzdar with senior members of the PTI provincial team in case the court finds him guilty and disqualifies him under Article 62.
Another agenda item that would be discussed by the prime minister during his visit to Punjab is finalisation of police reforms.
Chairman of the Punjab Police Reforms Commission, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nasir Khan Durrani will brief the Prime Minister about the commission’s work. Durrani is tasked to evolve such a force in the province as is politically neutral, operationally autonomous and extremely professional. Police reforms are one of the major commitments of Imran Khan and the PTI.
In its election manifesto, the PTI observed: “Police in Pakistan is ill-equipped, poorly trained, deeply politicised, and chronically corrupt. Police reforms have been neglected by successive governments to continue using the force as a political tool.”
