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Punjab Chief Minister inaugurates Safe City Project

Lahore, January 04, 2018 (PPI-OT):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Safe City Project (Punjab Police Integrated Command, Control and Communication Center) in the provincial metropolis, today. The Safe City Project has been completed in a record period of time with a cost of Rs.12 billion. As much as 8000 CCTVs have been installed under the project to make Lahore one of the safest cities in the world.

Automatic system of identification of vehicles number plats. E-challan, red light monitoring as well as latest communication system have been put in place under this composite system. After the inauguration, the Chief Minister inspected various sections of the center and talked with the officials. He expressed the satisfaction over the provision of various facilities and asked the staff to work with more dedication.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Minister said that Safe City Project is a milestone initiative for transforming the centuries old archaic police system according to needs and equipments of the modern times and added that its importance is very vital in the everyday life of the citizens. Moreover, this project is very vital in maintaining peace through latest technology, provision of emergency services and elimination of terrorism. Despite many challenges and impediments, this project has been completed in a record period due to the collective efforts of the Punjab government, Safe City Authority and Chinese company Huawei.

This project has been fully operationalized in five of the six divisions in Lahore while the work is going on in full swing in the sixth division which will become fully operational till the end of current month. He expressed the satisfaction that due to the continued hard work of Punjab government, Safe City Authority, Chinese company and other line departments, this project has been completed. He also congratulated the heads of line departments and their team members. Due to the completion of this project, Lahore will be included among the cities of the world where latest technology has been provided to protect the life and property of the citizens along with controlling the crime-rate.

Due to the Safe City Project, composite strategy would be adopted with regard to traffic management, dolphin and healthcare of the citizens and the city comprising of more than one crore people will become more peaceful and the business activities will be fully protected. He said that safe city will be transformed as the smart city in the coming days and for that purpose, it has been decided to constitute a high-level committee. He said that work has been started to launch the safe city project in six other cities including Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Bahawalpur and this project will be completed very speedily in these districts.

The Chief Minister said that the US President Donald Trump has tweeted with regard to Pakistan that they had given 33 billion dollars aid to Pakistan but Pakistan betrayed and deceived them. The Chief Minister termed the tweet as tragic and detrimental to our national honour and respect. This statement of the US President is a slap over our identity. We will have to give a sane and audacious reply to this tweet. He said that he is no messiah as he is a human being with all the limitations but it has been stated on different occasions by him that nation cannot live with honour through beggary as only those nations prosper who move further with the policy of self-reliance.

It is not the message of Iqbal and Jinnah because such a life of despondency is in stark conflict with the sayings of Iqbal and Jinnah. There is no nation in the world which has progressed through loans. The nations who were defeated in wars have achieved the pinnacle of glory through hard work, collective wisdom and positive approach. It should be a matter of concern for all of us that we have been held accused and defamed for the last 70 years. People from all walks of life should decide now that will we live a life of honour or will continue to be condemned through accusations. It is the time to adopt a sane approach and decide to achieve the goal of self-reliance. We need not to be engaged in any confrontation but the whole nation should collectively decide and give a reply to the US that we do not need your money, loan or grant.

We will eat a simple food but will not let our nation be insulted. Had we not made mistakes in the past, today we will not to be taunted today of 33 billion dollars aid. He said that we have set up electricity generation projects from our own resources during last four and a half years and China has also made mega investments in energy projects under the CPEC. He said that he is taunted to be an Ambassador of China but he and the whole nation are proud over it because China is a sincere friend of Pakistan. As soon as the American President accused Pakistan, China sided with us prior to others. The time has come to get rid of such an aid and alms that compromises our national honour, respect and dignity.

The ruling elite should decide about it because the people have never seen the foreign currency as they burn the midnight oil to earn their livelihood and it is the elite that deal with pounds and dollars. It is still time to reach upon a consensus decisions even after the passage of 70 years. It may be a difficult decision, but only for the ruling elite, because the masses have no concern with it. Time has come to make a big decision of changing our lives. We should sit together and reach upon a unanimous decision after consultations and give a message to the US to audit the aid money and from onwards now, we shall have to refrain from such an aid.

We have decided to live an honourable life because it is the only way to move further. He said that he does not talk about indulging in war or confrontation as we will have to fight with ourselves and with this obsolete system. We need to change the system due to which we have been listening accusations since long. He made it clear that he is not trying to achieve some political gains, but it is the voice of his heart. He said that immortal sacrifices were not rendered for achieving Pakistan so that someone could defile us.

Now, we should give a definite reply to them that we have learnt from our mistakes and the same would not be repeated in future. There are examples of defeated nations before us who were destroyed in wars but they have achieved heights of development and progress by working day and night. The examples of Japan, Germany and Chins are before us, he added. Depending on the national resources, we have installed electricity projects of thousands of megawatts under the leadership of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

Whenever it was planned to initiate a project in the past, there was a practice to search for foreign aid but we have installed electricity generation projects of thousands of megawatts capacity from our own resources and due to it, the nation has been saved from darkness of load-shedding. The federal and Punjab governments have spent their resources on these projects. He said that Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute is being completed with a cost of Rs.20 billion while Safe City Project has been completed with an amount of Rs.12 billion. These resources have been provided by the Punjab government from its own kitty.

Only thinking makes the human approach rich or poor. It is our strong conviction that if we decide to rely on our own resources, then Almighty Allah shall help us and if we work hard with full sincerity, then resources are arranged by Almighty Allah. The nations which were devoid of vision and national approach were unable to benefit from their rich natural resources.

On the other side, the nations having no such support achieved success through their hard work. The examples of Japan and China are before us. He said that the journey of development can be achieved only through hard work and the goal of self reliance can be achieved as well. He said that the statement of the US President has shaken the conscience of the whole nation and we have been given an opportunity to make collective decisions by learning from the past mistakes.

This way, nations move further and achieve their destinations. The time has come that we should decide with collective wisdom and move further. He appreciated the efforts of whole team working on this project including cabinet committee on law and order. IG Police and CEO of Huawei also addressed the function. The Chief Minister unveiled the plaque of the Integrated Command and Control Center and wrote his expressions in visitors’ book. He also gave commendatory certificates to Law Minister, ACS (Home), IG Police, COO Akbar Nasir Khan and MD Ali Amir. Provincial Ministers Ayoub Gadhi, Jahangir Khanzada, diplomats, members of the assembly and others attended the function in large number.

For more information, contact:
Directorate General Public Relations, Punjab (DGPR)
Government of the Punjab
21-Mahmood Gaznavi Road (Abbot Road), Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99201390-1-2
Fax: +92-42-99201371-2
E-mail: info@dgpr.punjab.gov.pk
Website: www.dgpr.punjab.gov.pk