LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Information Azma Bukhari on Monday said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s service to the people of Punjab is unparalleled.
Addressing a press conference here, Azma presented the chief minister’s ‘message card’ mentioning her achievements in the 10 months she served Punjab as chief minister.
She said that Mrs. Nawaz was about to complete one year of managing government affairs. “I have the report card of the 10 months she was in power. I have stated earlier that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s actions are not for record keeping.”
She stated that the year 2024 was approaching; “This year will end with a lot of good news for the public. The stock market has seen an upward trend and inflation is between 4% and 5%. This year has been significant for Maryam Nawaz as it is her first time holding a government position.
Azma Bukhari said that Maryam proved that it is not about how many terms one has served but rather the qualification to deliver results. Referring to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she said the situation in Kurram and Parachinar was very serious. “It is the duty of Chief Minister [Ali Amin] Gandapura to restore law and order in Kurram and Parachinar.”
Highlighting the achievements of Maryam, she said that 6.4 million families in Punjab have been provided with Ramazan packages at their doorsteps. For the first time in history, the price of roti (bread) was fixed in Punjab. Maryam Nawaz also launched an air ambulance service despite criticism from her political opponents.
She noted that 27,000 students in Punjab have been given electric bikes. The number of bikes has now increased to 100,000. Brilliant students have been given scholarships and the number has increased to 50,000. Consumers in Punjab have been given relief of Rs 54 billion on electricity bills for two months.
Azma also mentioned the launch of a nutritional program for malnourished children and the reorganization of schools. New schools are being built and efforts are being made to catch the mafia that encouraged the use of exam rigging.
Talking about the future plans, she said that youth will be given loans for shrimp farming. Many countries have earned significant foreign exchange through shrimp farming.
She also mentioned the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ housing scheme, under which people are given loans of up to Rs 1.5 million on easy installments to build a home. She said hundreds of houses are being built under this initiative.
The establishment of an IT (information technology) city is also underway, she added.
The minister said a 1,000-bed hospital named after Nawaz Sharif would be built in Lahore at a cost of Rs 54 billion. To this end, a memorandum of understanding was signed with China.
Heart surgeries for children have also started and more than 500 children have undergone the operation.
Special children in Punjab get financial assistance of Rs 10,000, Azma continued.
She mentioned the launch of the Rs 30 billion Kissan (Farmer) Card scheme under which farmers can purchase implements. Under the Green Tractor Scheme, 9,500 tractors will be distributed among farmers.
Azma Bukhari said the launch of livestock card enables rural women to purchase livestock. She also mentioned the first smog tower, the first of its kind in Lahore to counter environmental degradation.
A model fish market will also be established in Lahore, the minister said.
She said that a vegetable market would be set up near Kala Shah Kaku near Lahore. Under the “Dhe (Daughter) Rani” programme, girls will be provided with household items as a wedding gift. Chief Minister Maryam will personally attend the weddings to distribute gifts.
She mentioned that programs have been launched for the transgender community.
