Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Thursday announced special relief package worth amounting to Rs5 billion for the affected traders of Hafeez Center inferno.
The CM made the announcement at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). The chief minister spent over an hour at LCCI and listened to the affected traders patiently.
Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, President LCCI Mian Tariq Misbah, Senior Vice President Nasir Hameed Khan, Vice President Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry, President Bank of Punjab Zafar Masood and President SAARC Chamber of Commerce Iftikhar Ali Malik were also present on the occasion.
The chief minister said the Bank of Punjab (BOP) will provide soft loans to the fire victims and for that purpose a special desk of BOP has been established very near to the Hafeez Center.
The BoP will extend finance at affordable rates under Kamyab Jawan & Punjab Rozgar Scheme and BOP Apni Dokan, adding it will also provide flexible financial solutions to cater renovation of existing shop / office premises, purchase of new shop / office premises, Purchase of inventory / stocks to restart the business activities.
The CM said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced refunds to the Hafeez Center fire victims on priority basis. Mr Buzdar said the BOP has also offering 135 shops (owned by bank) available at IT Tower Lahore at affordable terms.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that the government has ensured availability of low-cost essential commodities in 350 sahulat bazaars, established to provide relief to masses.
Usman Buzdar said that 20-kg flour bag is available for Rs840 in sahulat bazaars, whereas, the same sack is available in local markets at the price of Rs860. Sugar is also being provided at discounted price of Rs85 per kilogram to the consumers, he added.
Meanwhile, Additional DG Excise & Taxation Department Rao Shakeelur Rehman and GM (Marketing) National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation Syed Amir signed an agreement at CM Office to provide standardised vehicular number plates to the customers at their doorsteps.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar greeted the Muslim world on the most auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
In his message issued here today, the chief minister said the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the most propitious happening in the entire human history. Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who is the benefactor of the whole humanity, has emerged as an example for the whole world through His immaculate character and introduced an exemplary socio-economic order in a short span of time.
He said that Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught the human beings about golden principles of love, peace, affection, equality, justice and respect of humanity and the menace of injustice, cruelty and lawlessness can also be eradicated by following the teachings of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
