Zaheer enumerates ‘19 causes of govt failure’

LAHORE, June 18: Alleging that the Punjab government has failed to achieve any target set in previous year’s budget, the opposition enumerates 19 reasons for the failure, some of which are power politics between the coalition partners, incomplete cabinet, concentration of powers and the deteriorating law and order.
Flanked by some Pakistan Muslim League-Q MPAs, opposition leader Chaudhry Zaheeruddin told the media here on Thursday that after failure of its all policies, the Shahbaz Sharif government was now planning to obtain a simple majority in the house by getting resigned 10 turncoats of the Q-League and their success in by-polls through the use of state machinery.
Thereafter, he predicted, the PML-N would try to get rid of its coalition partner -- the Pakistan People’s Party.
Zaheer said two days before the budget his party had put up 19 questions to the Punjab government about its performance but, what he said, it failed to give any satisfactory reply.
Presenting 19 reasons for the failure, he said government de partments had to bear the brunt of confrontation between PML-N and PPP throughout the year as it affected administrative affairs in the province. The confrontation is going on yet.
The cold war between the provincial government and the governor bifurcated the bureaucracy. Likewise, the government fought an “illegal” war against district governments by character assassination of nazims and freezing their funds.
Referring to large-scale transfers and postings the Shahbaz government had undertaken immediately after assuming power, he said the exercise not only hit the provincial kitty but also resulted in appointment of juniors over seniors.
Terming the `sasti roti’ scheme a political stunt, Zaheer said the “imaginary” scheme did nothing for the poor but wasted billions of rupees.
Incomplete cabinet and nonfunctional standing committees of the assembly were hampering governance while provincial affairs were being run through unelected people and close relatives, he added.
He regretted that the all-important Public Accounts Committee was awaiting appointments on its vacant seats as the government was trying to avoid its accountability.
Criticising the poor law and order, the opposition leader said the government was failing to check terrorist attacks despite prior warnings while lack of coordination and strategy was resulting in delay in mega projects.
He alleged that Nawaz Sharif was holding meetings with bureaucrats and issuing them directions separately and the duality was affecting performance of the administration. He also chided the government for showing political expediency while fighting the province’s case before the federation as far as mega projects like Kalabagh Dam were concerned. However, he did not tell why his government neglected the important water reservoir during its five-year tenure and rather Qleadership spoke against it during the last year election campaign.
The PML-Q leader alleged that Lahore Ring Road project was being extended to benefit Jati Umra estate of the Sharifs.