Lahore: Punjab senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan has dispels the impression that he is the ‘real’ Punjab chief minister (CM) and Usman Buzdar is not in the lead.
“I do have a lot of responsibilities but the Punjab CM has entrusted me with them,” he says.
Speaking to a journalist, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader dispelled the notion that he is playing the role of provincial (CM).
Aleem Khan, who holds the charge of local government and community development (LG&CD) department, elaborated that “If tomorrow I ask you to chair a meeting of local government, it does not mean that you have become the minister for that department.”
“Usman Buzdar asked me to overlook the province’s 100-day plan and to check the performance of departments.”
“If the chief minister has asked me to head the plan for a clean Punjab then that responsibility has been given to me by him and if he had not given it to me then he would have assigned it to someone else,” he added.
“I am only monitoring matters that the Punjab chief minister has asked me to oversee and nothing more,” Aleem Khan asserted
Informing about the progress on new local government system he said his ministry has prepared a draft of recommendations which will be forwarded to Prime Minister Imran Khan for approval this week.
Criticizing the previous government, Aleem said, “The former Punjab chief minister kept all the powers with himself and the mayors of the cities wielded no authority.”
“Under the new local government system, local representatives will have complete administrative and economic authority,” he said.
“For the first time, councils will be established at Mohalla level in cities and districts so people do not have to travel far to get resolve their problems ,” Aleem added.
“The mayors will be in charge of all matters pertaining to their cities and all institutions will work under them,” the PTI leader further said.
The senior minister also shared that mayors will be elected by the people. “The people of Lahore will elect their mayor themselves.”
