‘Lies have a shelf life:’ CM Maryam says development defines PML-N politics

• Punjab CM links Haripur by-polls win to rejection of failed narratives, credits revival of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif’s development-centric legacy
• Says Rs180b Clean Punjab termed world’s largest waste drive with numerous housing, health, education and welfare projects unveiled
• Says Rs63b green mass transit to transform Gujranwala in 12 months

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday delivered an extensive and wide-ranging address outlining what she described as a decisive shift in Pakistan’s politics—from what she termed “the politics of lies and incompetence” to an era anchored in delivery, development and public service—asserting that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was regaining public confidence across the country because “lies have a shelf life.”

Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Gujranwala Mass Transit System, she linked recent electoral trends, major governance initiatives and large-scale infrastructure projects to what she called the revival of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif’s development-centric legacy.

جو لوگ چار سال ملک میں فساد مچا کر گئے اور کہہ رہے تھے کہ ملک جلد ڈیفالٹ ہو جائے گا، اللہ کا شکر ہے کہ نواز شریف اور شہباز شریف نے اس ملک کو دوبارہ بچایا۔
— وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب، مریم نوازشریف#MassTransitByPMLN #CMTransportVision2030 pic.twitter.com/t12FheJAJP

— PML-N Team (@PMLNTeamPK) December 6, 2025

Referring to the November 23 by-election in Haripur, the chief minister said the victory of the PML-N was a public verdict against false narratives and failed governance. “Haripur voted in favour of the lion because lies have a shelf life,” she said, adding that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bidding farewell to the politics of deception and inability by voting for the PML-N.

CM Maryam Nawaz paid glowing tribute to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, stating that he had created history in public service and development during his tenure in Punjab. She said she had begun her work as chief minister from exactly the point where Shehbaz Sharif had left off. “People have always appreciated the leadership and tireless hard work of Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif,” she remarked, adding that, fully aware of the services rendered by both Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, she was moving forward to carry this legacy into the future.

Highlighting the evolution of mass transit systems in Punjab, she said Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif built the first metro bus in Lahore, followed by Rawalpindi and Multan. “Continuing this journey, two more metro projects are being launched. After Gujranwala, the Faisalabad Metro project will also be launched in the coming days,” she announced.

She said Nawaz Sharif’s vision continued to shape Punjab’s development even today, noting that every major infrastructure project in the province bore the imprint of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. From the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Children’s Hospital and Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) to the Metro Bus and Orange Line Train, she said, their names and legacy were visible throughout Lahore and beyond. Recalling a recent visit to the Punjab Forensic DNA and Serology Agency (PFDA), she said the institution had once been in ruins but was now fully completed and would soon be inaugurated by the prime minister.

16 ہزار نئی گلیاں لاہور میں سال کے آخر تک! 6 ہزار مکمل، 10 ہزار زیر تعمیر، ترقی ہر ڈسٹرکٹ تک پہنچ رہی ہے۔
— مریم نوازشریف#MassTransitByPMLN #CMTransportVision2030 pic.twitter.com/BtgVEZJ3W9

— PML-N Team (@PMLNTeamPK) December 6, 2025

Commenting on the national economy, CM Maryam said Pakistan had moved away from the threat of default and was now stabilising. She blamed four years of mismanagement and inefficiency for the destruction of both Punjab and the country, contrasting it with what she described as the exemplary performance of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif in public service. “I can count three names when it comes to service and development, but I cannot find a fourth,” she said, adding that from atomic power to motorways, from the protection of the Haramain to the journey from darkness to light, PML-N’s footprint was visible everywhere.

She criticised previous leadership from regions such as Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali and Gujrat for failing to resolve local issues despite holding high offices. She said Dera Ghazi Khan and Mianwali lacked visible development, while Gujrat was submerged in rainwater. In contrast, she noted that roads, overhead bridges and green bus projects had now been launched in Mianwali, while a comprehensive sewerage system costing Rs30 billion was being built in Gujrat.

Turning her focus to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, CM Maryam said a single party had ruled the province uninterrupted for 12 years without coalition partners, yet KP resembled “an archaic state.” She accused a former KP chief minister of using provincial resources to attack the federation and urged the incumbent chief minister to focus on serving the people rather than protesting outside Adiala Jail. “We have received a mandate to serve the people, not to sit outside Adiala Jail,” she said.

Presenting what she termed her “public service report card,” the chief minister highlighted that over 120,000 houses were being built within eight months, while 2,000 plots were being provided to landless families. She said the Rs180-billion ‘Suthra Punjab’ project had been termed the world’s largest waste management initiative by Forbes, with workers collecting 50,000 tonnes of garbage daily across the province.

She said sewage and sanitation systems were being upgraded in 38 districts under the Punjab Development Program at a cost of Rs400 billion, pledging that water accumulation after rainfall would be eliminated within a year. She announced that 2,600 model villages would be built at a cost of Rs200 billion, while 6,000 streets had already been constructed in Lahore and another 10,000 were underway. Over the next two years, she said, 30,000 kilometres of roads would be built.

In education and health, CM Maryam said WASA had been expanded to all major cities with machinery worth Rs30 billion provided. She highlighted ration cards for 1.5 million people, scholarships for 80,000 students, distribution of 100,000 laptops, and improvements in 49,000 schools. She said Centres of Excellence were being established in 38 districts, with government schools now witnessing unprecedented demand.

She further announced a 1,000-bed Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital, treatment of 20 million patients through field hospitals and mobile clinics, establishment of cardiology institutes in Sargodha, Sahiwal and Murree, and a medical city on Lahore’s Ring Road.

On agriculture and welfare, she said Rs100 billion in loans had been extended to 750,000 farmers, 30,000 tractors were being distributed, wheat sowing targets had been achieved, and special cards were issued for minorities and persons with disabilities.

Highlighting the Gujranwala Mass Transit System, CM Maryam said a 31-kilometre corridor from Aimanabad to Gakkar with 15 signal-free intersections and four underpasses would be completed within 12 months at a cost of Rs63 billion.

She said Gujranwala would receive metro buses superior to those operating in Lahore and Rawalpindi, concluding with prayers for success in serving the people by following the path laid out by Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif.