The Punjab Cabinet approved the dispatch of medicines and other supplies to the people of Parachinar along with other development initiatives.
The 21st provincial cabinet meeting was chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed that relief supplies be sent to the people of Parachinar immediately.
Maryam Nawaz said that according to the needs of the people of Parachinar, a mobile health unit will also be sent. She emphasized that the people of Parachinar are part of the nation and must not be left alone during hardships and crises.
The provincial cabinet also congratulated Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on her successful visit to China.
She remarked that the extraordinary reception given to the delegation in China was a source of pride for the people of Punjab. She added that China’s remarkable success in turning its 1.6 billion population into a force is an inspiring example of progress.
“We too can achieve similar success with hard work,” she said, noting how clean and organized China’s schools, hospitals and roads are.
Maryam Nawaz emphasized that the Chinese people’s respect for authority and their unparalleled harmony are qualities worth emulating. She expressed her hope that Punjab continues to develop and prosper like China with each passing day.
Earlier Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Advisor to Chief Minister for Information Barrister Dr. Saif slammed the federal government for its alleged indifference to the escalating situation in Kurram, calling the government’s response a mere “spectacle” from afar.
“Kurram is a border area and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also has a responsibility,” he added, urging Asif to focus on his duties and not make provocative statements.
The adviser also took a stab at the Prime Minister’s office, saying that if the real Prime Minister, whom he called “Form 45,” was in charge, an air ambulance would have already been arranged for Kurram. He contrasted this with what he described as a “fake” Prime Minister, referring to “Form 47”, who was preoccupied with false claims.
Saif further criticized the Punjab government, alleging that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was using his own helicopter for emergency airlift operations in Kurram, while Maryam Nawaz’s alleged promises of airlift were yet to be fulfilled.
On the instructions of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapura, the third consignment of essential medicines of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was airlifted to Kurram on Tuesday to address the acute shortage of emergency supplies.
A two-month supply of medicines worth Rs 12.4 million, including emergency medicines and vaccines, was delivered using the provincial government’s MI-17 helicopter. The initiative follows the closure of land routes due to ongoing tensions.
To date, emergency medicines worth Rs 200 crore have been airlifted to Kurram by helicopter. Supply operations are monitored by the Health Advisor to the Chief Minister and the Provincial Health Secretary.
Additionally, Faisal Abdul Sattar Edhi, chairman of the Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation, reached the conflict-affected area with vital supplies after getting approval from Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
