Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz addressing a Honhaar Scholarship and laptop distribution ceremony at Government Comprehensive High School in Jhelum. Photo: Screengrab
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said political narratives, allegations and slogans could not replace public service, stressing that voters ultimately judged political parties on their performance and the development work carried out for their welfare.
Addressing a Honhaar Scholarship and laptop distribution ceremony at Government Comprehensive High School in Jhelum, Maryam said political parties could not sustain public support through rhetoric alone if they failed to deliver services to the people.
She said political narratives had a limited lifespan and that parties which failed to serve the public eventually lost their relevance.
The chief minister referred to two elections held in Sahiwal and Gujranwala, saying that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had secured victories in both despite opposition parties joining forces against it.
She said opposition parties had formed alliances and made efforts to defeat the PML-N but had failed to secure public support.
CM Maryam maintained that the results demonstrated that voters preferred development and public service over political slogans and allegations, adding that the PML-N had repeatedly received public support over the past four decades because people associated the party with development and the resolution of their problems.
The chief minister criticised political opponents for their reliance on political narratives rather than practical measures to address public concerns. She said popularity could be measured through electoral results and public confidence rather than claims made by political parties.
Referring to the opposition’s electoral performance, CM Maryam claimed that political opponents had lost elections both while in government and after moving into opposition. She said people voted for political parties when development projects and public services reached their homes. The chief minister also criticised misleading information circulating on social media and urged students to assess political claims critically.
She advised young people to examine whether roads were being constructed, streets were being cleaned, and public services were improving before forming opinions about government performance, further adding that the provincial government had undertaken development projects worth trillions of rupees and claimed that these initiatives were improving the lives of people across Punjab.
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She maintained that development work was no longer restricted to major cities and that smaller districts were receiving facilities previously concentrated in larger urban centres. The chief minister said she had visited Sahiwal, Mandi Bahauddin and Attock before arriving in Jhelum and had witnessed development work in these cities.
She claimed that her administration had broken the longstanding practice of concentrating public resources and development projects in major cities. She also criticised the tenure of former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar, questioning why students had not received scholarships, laptops and other educational facilities during his administration. The chief minister said the provincial government was providing facilities that should have been made available to citizens in previous years.
Responds to corruption allegations
Responding to allegations of corruption, the chief minister said her government had launched development projects worth trillions of rupees during its tenure. She maintained that she had not misappropriated public funds and was accountable to the people and God for the use of public resources.
CM Maryam said she would not spare any minister found involved in bribery or corruption if credible evidence was presented against them. She acknowledged that corruption had not been completely eliminated from Punjab but claimed that her administration was actively pursuing corruption cases and taking action against those responsible.
The chief minister also referred to alleged corruption in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and questioned the performance of previous provincial administrations. She said the governments of other provinces should answer to their own people, while she remained responsible for the use of public funds in Punjab.
CM Maryam pledged that every rupee collected through taxes would be spent on public welfare, development and improving citizens’ lives. She also questioned why individuals who criticised the government continued to hold ministerial positions instead of resigning.
Punjab to distribute 100,000 scooties to students
Turning to education and student welfare, CM Maryam announced that the Punjab government would distribute 100,000 scooties to students, with the first phase expected to begin in December. She said the programme had initially been scheduled for inauguration on November 5 but had been delayed because of the large number of scooties being manufactured.
The chief minister advised students who had applied for scooties to undergo proper driving training and wear helmets to ensure their safety. She congratulated students receiving Honhaar Scholarships and laptops, saying their achievements reflected their hard work and the sacrifices made by their parents.
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CM Maryam said the scholarships, laptops and other facilities were not personal favours from the government but the students’ rights, earned through merit and dedication. She pledged to establish a system in which educational and employment opportunities would be determined by merit rather than political influence, recommendations or the influence of wealthy individuals.
The chief minister said students from underprivileged families would not be deprived of employment opportunities after completing their education because of influential individuals. She encouraged students to participate in public service, politics and national development.
CM Maryam also praised Rana Sikandar for his efforts in the education sector and said the provincial government was responsible for approximately 50,000 schools across Punjab.
The chief minister said the provincial government was establishing nearly 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence (NSSE) across Punjab. She said these institutions would provide air-conditioned classrooms, computer laboratories, artificial intelligence laboratories, science laboratories and qualified teaching staff, further adding that the facilities available at these institutions were comparable to, or better than, those provided by expensive private schools.
She said the government intended to extend similar educational facilities to children attending public schools throughout the province. The chief minister also referred to plans concerning an NSSE in Jhelum on December 15. She claimed that students who previously attended private schools were increasingly moving towards government institutions because of improvements in educational facilities.
CM Maryam said the provincial government was committed to ensuring that students received opportunities based on their abilities and academic performance.
Green bus services expanded to smaller cities
Highlighting transport initiatives, CM Maryam said green bus services operating in Lahore were also being provided in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Khushab, Layyah, Bhakkar, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan. She said similar bus facilities and infrastructure were being developed in other districts, including Kasur, Rajanpur, Mandi Bahauddin and Pakpattan.
The chief minister said students were being allowed to travel free of charge on green buses to schools, colleges and universities. She stated that the government had been advised to introduce a nominal fare but had decided to continue providing free transport to students.
CM Maryam said the initiative was intended to provide students with comfortable transport and improve access to education. She maintained that smaller cities were receiving facilities similar to those available in Lahore and other major urban centres.
Discussing healthcare initiatives, the chief minister said she had visited the District Headquarters Hospital in Jhelum and inaugurated a catheterisation laboratory established in recent months. She said patients were receiving cardiac procedures, including angiograms, angioplasty, stenting and pacemaker implantation, free of charge.
CM Maryam said catheterisation laboratories and cardiac centres were being established in 25 smaller cities where such facilities had previously been unavailable. She added that cancer hospitals were being established at divisional headquarters, while a government cancer hospital was also being developed in Lahore.
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The chief minister recounted meeting a patient who had travelled from Faisalabad to Jhelum for cardiac treatment after facing a longer waiting period in his home city. She said the patient had undergone a procedure the day after arriving in Jhelum.
Maryam described the case as an example of improved healthcare access in smaller cities, saying patients were now travelling from larger cities to smaller districts for treatment.
Housing scheme benefits low-income families
The chief minister also highlighted the provincial government’s Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar housing programme, saying approximately 250,000 to 275,000 homes were being constructed for low-income families. She said she had visited a family in Jhelum that had previously lived in rented accommodation for 25 to 30 years.
According to her, the family had previously paid Rs15,000 in monthly rent and was now paying Rs14,000 a month towards its own home. She said hundreds of similar cases existed in Jhelum, where families who previously lacked the resources to own homes were now constructing houses.
The chief minister maintained that public money belonged to citizens and should be spent on their education, housing, transport, healthcare and development. CM Punjab referred to an assault on a female shop worker. She also referred to an incident involving a female employee at a garment shop, saying she had seen a video in which the woman was allegedly assaulted by a man. She said she had sought information from the police about the incident, which she believed had occurred in Faisalabad.
The chief minister said she had summoned the woman to a police station and instructed her to slap the man accused of assaulting her. She maintained that the provincial government stood with vulnerable and underprivileged people and would not allow influential individuals to mistreat them.
CM Maryam said the dignity of every citizen was equal and that wealth or political influence should not allow anyone to mistreat others.
Development projects in Jhelum
Referring to development work in Jhelum, the chief minister said she was scheduled to inaugurate a newly developed market and visit Pind Dadan Khan. She also mentioned the Lilla-Jhelum Road, saying the project had been completed during the current year.
CM Maryam said the provincial government was working to improve infrastructure and public facilities in smaller cities. She maintained that development projects, improved healthcare, educational facilities, transport services, and housing initiatives were intended to raise living standards throughout Punjab.
