Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif Meets National

Lahore,: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif met a delegation of the National Workshop Balochistan comprising male and female students from various educational institutions of Balochistan.

The visiting students expressed pleasure over meeting the Chief Minister Punjab, while Maryam Nawaz Sharif welcomed the delegation and termed their visit a source of happiness. On behalf of the people of Punjab, she presented laptops to the students and also announced laptops for all members of the delegation. On the occasion, the students honoured the Chief Minister Punjab by draping her with a traditional Balochi shawl.

The delegation described its visit to Lahore and the meeting with the Chief Minister Punjab as a memorable experience and applauded her public welfare initiatives. Maryam Nawaz Sharif also answered questions raised by the students during the interaction.

Addressing the delegation, the Chief Minister Punjab said a special helpline was being launched for economically deprived segments of society to ensure immediate assistance in cases of illness and medical treatment. “Students are the standard-bearers of Pakistan and the future of the country lies in their hands,” she said, adding that her becoming the first woman Chief Minister Punjab was an honour for all daughters of Pakistan.

She said Punjab had always opened its doors for people from other provinces who come in search of employment and better opportunities. “Hospitals, colleges and universities in Punjab are benefiting people from all provinces,” she said, citing the Children Heart Surgery Programme and the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital as projects meant for the entire country, not Punjab alone.

Rejecting the perception of provincial discrimination, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “We have never differentiated between Sindhi, Punjabi, Kashmiri or Baloch. We are Pakistanis first.” She termed the narrative that Punjab receives a disproportionate share of resources as misleading and advised students not to fall for such propaganda. “Every province receives its due share; the real difference lies in how public funds are utilised,” she added.

The Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif highlighted governance and law enforcement reforms, stating that the crime rate in Punjab had dropped from 100 to 30 per cent and that suspects now get arrested within 24 hours. She said Punjab had become safer for women, with drones reaching crime scenes first and police responding immediately to panic button alerts. She also praised the Inspector General of Punjab Police, calling him a professional and hardworking officer.

She said Safe City projects, surveillance cameras and technology were not only being used to track criminals but also to identify civic issues such as waste management. Under the housing initiative, she said, 25,000 houses had already been constructed, with a target of 500,000 homes over five years.

On healthcare, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said treatment, tests and medicines were being provided free of cost in government hospitals. She added that thousands of clinics-on-wheels and field hospitals were reaching villages, reducing the need for patients with minor ailments to visit major hospitals. She also referred to the establishment of new cardiology institutes and cath labs across several districts.

Referring to sanitation reforms, the Chief Minister Punjab said Forbes had recognised “Suthra Punjab” as the largest waste management programme, with a workforce of over 150,000 workers cleaning cities and villages across the province.

She said the Green Bus service had been launched from smaller cities, offering affordable travel at Rs20, while free Wi-Fi was available at various locations in Lahore. In education, she highlighted the school meal programme in South Punjab to address malnutrition, which led to an increase of 1.1 million student enrolments. Mobile libraries and mobile schools were also being introduced, she added.

The Chief Minister Punjab said ration cards had been distributed to 1.5 million workers, with a target of reaching five million. She also spoke about ongoing sewerage, drainage, road construction and clean drinking water projects, adding that Punjab was the first province to launch an air ambulance service.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif said Punjab was providing Honhaar scholarships and laptops to students from Balochistan, while 260 Baloch students were currently studying in Danish Schools and around 1,500 had already graduated. “We are Pakistanis first; provincial identities come later,” she said, urging students to question their governments respectfully and remain vigilant against misinformation.

Students from the delegation shared their impressions, praising Lahore’s hospitality and expressing surprise and happiness over meeting the Chief Minister Punjab. A student from Turbat said Lahore was “beyond words,” while another remarked that although Maryam Nawaz appeared graceful, “her heart is even more beautiful.”

In Urdu :dailytimeline.pk