- Maryam Nawaz briefs Pakistan Navy War College delegation on reforms and projects, saying World’s largest government cancer hospital to be completed in 10 months
- Informs 2,500 health centers upgraded, field hospitals & mobile clinics serving citizens while 1,100 electric buses to provide eco-friendly rides
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday highlighted her government’s major development and welfare initiatives during a meeting with a delegation of the 55th Staff Course of Pakistan Navy War College.
The delegation, led by Rear Admiral Sohail Ahmed Azmi, comprised officers from Pakistan’s three armed forces as well as representatives of the armed forces of 15 friendly countries.
Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Minister expressed appreciation for the participation of Palestinian officers and reiterated Punjab’s solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Highlighting her government’s health reforms, the Punjab chief minister said that Punjab had acquired a co-ablation machine from China, making it possible to treat cancer without surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, adding that the world’s largest 1,000-bed Nawaz Sharif government cancer hospital in Lahore would be completed within ten months.
She noted that the first Institute of Cardiology for Sargodha Division was nearing completion, while 2,500 health centers had been upgraded into fully functional hospitals. Field hospitals and mobile clinics were also providing care across the province. She recalled that Punjab had recently conducted Pakistan’s largest-ever rescue and relief operation, rescuing 2.5 million people and ensuring their shelter and food.
In the development sector, the Chief Minister said that 20,000 kilometers of roads had been constructed or repaired under the Punjab Development Programme and Lahore Development Plan. She announced the introduction of anti-smog guns to combat environmental hazards and the establishment of wildlife rangers for the first time in Punjab. Urban beautification projects and the restoration of tourism sites were also underway.
Turning to transport reforms, she said that 1,100 electric buses would soon be operational, offering citizens eco-friendly travel facilities at just Rs20 per ride. “Electric buses are not only a mode of transport but also a symbol of innovation and a revolution in Punjab’s urban mobility,” she remarked.
CM Maryam Nawaz further stated that the Safe City Project, launched earlier in Lahore by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had now been expanded to 25 districts. She also pointed to the establishment of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) to curb inflation, hoarding, and encroachments.
Emphasizing Punjab’s social and cultural initiatives, the Chief Minister said that the province had introduced the country’s first Sikh Marriage Act and developed Pakistan’s largest Sikh tourist corridor. She added that 13,000 new businesses had been launched across Punjab through interest-free loans, reflecting her government’s focus on entrepreneurship and industrial growth.
The delegation members appreciated the Chief Minister’s wide-ranging initiatives and thanked her for the warm hospitality extended to them during the visit.
