LAHORE: US Ambassador Donald Blome met Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi at the Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday and discussed matters of mutual interest.
It was agreed to promote partnership in population planning, alternate energy, agriculture and water management sectors.
The CM briefed about public welfare initiatives and legislation for saving campuses from drugs and thanked the ambassador for extending support to Pakistan during the corona pandemic. Pakistan gave special importance to its relations with the US, the CM said and added that reforms were being introduced in different sectors. In this regard, the US technical assistance would be welcomed.
The CM said the legislation would be enacted to rid the educational institutions of drugs and American assistance would be beneficial in this regard.
Parvez Elahi said that a special anti-narcotics force would be established and those giving information about the sale and purchase of drugs would be rewarded. Similarly, special courts would be set up to hold a daily trial of drug pushers.
The CM stated that the Punjab government welcomed the US collaboration with regard to the elimination of drugs.
The incumbent government had resumed the channelization of Koh-e-Suleman water whereas small dams would be constructed and a plan had been devised to construct two big dams on Chenab River. He hoped that the US assistance in R&D would yield positive results to increase agri productivity while its cooperation in the new cotton seed would sufficiently increase cotton production. It was hoped that partnership between the Punjab government and the US would be promoted as the provincial government was following a public-centric agenda, the CM concluded.
Ambassador Donald Blome said that the US gave great importance to its relations with Pakistan and that cooperation with the Punjab government would be further promoted.
US Consul General William K Makaneole, Political and Economic Chief Kathleen Gibilisco, former P&D chairman Salman Ghani, chief secretary, Chairman PBIT Fazeel Asif and others were also present.
