TAXILA: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan on Sunday indirectly criticised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent visit to Attock, saying Punjab’s progress cannot be measured by Lahore’s prosperity.
He said remote districts remained deprived of basic amenities like healthcare, quality education and safe drinking water.
The governor was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Dialysis and ThalassaemiaCentre in Jand.
‘Believing that Punjab has progressed simply because people in Lahore are enjoying better facilities would be a grave mistake. Real development means providing healthcare, education and clean drinking water to people in every part of the province,’ he said.
Established at an estimated cost of Rs50 million through the joint efforts of the Sundas Foundation and the Renal Care Foundation, the centre has been equipped with six dialysis machines to provide treatment facilities to patients suffering from kidney diseases and thalassaemia.
It is expected to reduce the hardships faced by patients from Jand and adjoining areas who are frequently referred to hospitals in Rawalpindi for treatment.
Thegovernorsaidresidents of Jand, Pindigheb and Fatehjang had long been struggling with inadequate healthcare facili-ties, forcing critically ill patients to travel to Rawalpindi.
He said the consumption of contaminated drinking water had also contributed to kidney ailments and other health problems in the area.
Development must be judged by improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens rather than the concentration of facilities in major cities.
Attock, despite being situated close to the federal capital, has remained neglected in terms of essential public services and development opportunities, he added.
Mr Khan said that with the assistance of philanthropists and welfare organisations, dialysis centres had been established in Jand, Pindigheb, Fatehjang and Hassanabdal.
Solar-powered water supply schemes have also been introduced in several localities to provide residents with access to drinking water.
Announcing further initia-tives, he said he would arrange 10 acres along the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route for the establishment of an Indus Hospital to strengthen healthcare services in the district.
He also announced plans to establish state-of-the-art free schools in Jand, Pindigheb and Fatehjang.
The governor said a passport facilitation counter would soon be established in the area to spare residents the inconvenience of travelling to other cities for passport-related services.
He also pledged to make efforts towards constructing a dam on Nala Desi to address the area’s water requirements. He announced plans to establish a mother and child healthcare centre in Injra with the assistance of the Red Crescent Society.
He said 1,000 laptops had been distributed among students, while another 10,000 would be distributed in the next phase.