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LAHORE, Nov 28 (APP):Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has said that after providing free cancer medicines, the Punjab government has now begun allotting free residential plots to deserving citizens, reflecting Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s strong welfare-oriented vision.
Talking to the media outside the Punjab Assembly building on Friday, she said the overwhelming success of the “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” initiative had encouraged the Punjab government to introduce the new “Apni Zameen Apna Ghar” project aimed at helping low-income families secure home ownership at the earliest.
Azma Bokhari said that PML-N leader Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz personally telephoned the lucky recipients of free plots to congratulate them, demonstrating the government’s transparency and people-friendly approach. She added that 120,000 houses are currently under construction, while the five-year target stands at 500,000 homes — marking the beginning of “a new era of housing development in Punjab.”
Criticising the political opposition, she said the PML-N’s manifesto has always centred on public service, in contrast to PTI, which she claimed “has nothing to offer except protests and agitation.”
Commenting on recent political developments, the minister lamented that a province of 45 million people had been “leaderless” for two months because its Chief Minister was “more concerned about a prisoner than his own people.” She said the results of recent by-elections clearly indicated that voters had rejected “the politics of chaos and sit-ins,” preferring leadership that delivers quality education, modern healthcare, and world-class transport.
Azma Bokhari criticised the KP Chief Minister for “acting as a caretaker of Adiala Jail,” saying the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were suffering due to his misplaced priorities. She said those “dancing outside Adiala” had abandoned their responsibilities.
“They are welcome as guests,” she added, “but if they come to plan attacks on the federation or finalise rally schedules, then the situation is entirely different.” She asserted that “no good news for Pakistan ever comes from Adiala.”
On international affairs, she claimed that the Indian delegation’s exit from an event at Oxford University was “proof of Pakistan’s effective foreign policy.” She further alleged that India had failed to justify the loss of eight Rafale aircraft and continued to wage a proxy war in the region. “Whenever India is exposed, it runs away in the same manner,” she said.
Azma Bokhari also rejected reports that the Punjab government was distributing sewing machines, stating, “We don’t have those magical machines that produce billions or help buy foreign properties.”
On relations with the PPP, she said the party was an ally and was always accommodated by the Chief Minister. However, she stressed that the PML-N government followed a clear policy and a modern governance framework. She asserted that patwaris, tehsildars, and SHOs were no longer appointed on the recommendations of any MPA or MNA.