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LAHORE, Jan 05 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday met a delegation of the National Workshop Balochistan comprising male and female students from various educational institutions of Balochistan.
Welcoming the delegation, the chief minister termed their visit a source of happiness and said that Punjab always opened its doors to people from all provinces. On behalf of the people of Punjab, she presented laptops to the visiting students and also announced laptops for all members of the delegation. The students, in turn, honoured the chief minister by draping her with a traditional Balochi shawl.
The delegation described its visit to Lahore and the meeting with the chief minister as a memorable experience and appreciated her public welfare initiatives. Maryam Nawaz Sharif also responded to questions raised by the students during an interactive session.
Addressing the delegation, the chief minister said that a special helpline was being launched for economically deprived segments of society to ensure immediate assistance in cases of illness and medical treatment. She said students were the standard-bearers of Pakistan and that the country’s future rested with the youth, adding that her becoming the first woman Chief Minister Punjab was an honour for all daughters of Pakistan.
She said Punjab’s hospitals, colleges and universities were benefiting people from all provinces, citing the Children Heart Surgery Programme and the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital as national projects serving citizens beyond provincial boundaries. Rejecting the perception of provincial discrimination, she said, “We have never differentiated between Sindhi, Punjabi, Kashmiri or Baloch. We are Pakistanis first,” adding that every province received its due share and that the real difference lay in effective utilisation of public funds.
Highlighting governance and law enforcement reforms, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the crime rate in Punjab had dropped significantly, with suspects now being arrested within 24 hours. She said Punjab had become safer for women, with drones reaching crime scenes promptly and police responding immediately to panic button alerts, and praised the Inspector General of Punjab Police for his professional performance.
She said Safe City projects, surveillance cameras and modern 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 the next five years.
On healthcare, the chief minister said treatment, tests and medicines were being provided free of cost in government hospitals, while clinics-on-wheels and field hospitals were reaching remote villages. She also referred to the establishment of new cardiology institutes and cath labs in several districts.
Referring to sanitation reforms, she said Forbes had recognised “Suthra Punjab” as the largest waste management programme, employing over 150,000 workers across cities and villages. She said the Green Bus service had been launched from smaller cities with a fare of Rs20, while free Wi-Fi was available at various locations in Lahore.
In the education sector, she highlighted the school meal programme in South Punjab, which had helped address malnutrition and increased enrolment by 1.1 million students. She said mobile libraries and mobile schools were also being introduced.
The chief minister said ration cards had been distributed among 1.5 million workers, with a target of reaching five million beneficiaries. She also spoke about 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, adding that 260 Baloch students were currently studying in Danish Schools while around 1,500 had already graduated.
Members of the delegation shared their impressions, praising Lahore’s hospitality and expressing happiness over meeting the chief minister. A student from Turbat described Lahore as “beyond words,” while another remarked that although Maryam Nawaz Sharif appeared graceful, “her heart is even more beautiful.”