Punjab CM orders emergency clean-up, sets three-day deadline for Sargodha facelift

• Adviser to CM Shoaib Mirza rushes to city, chairs high-level emergency meeting
• Wasa, Suthra Punjab mobilised to tackle sewerage, stagnant water and sanitation
• Roads, bazaars, schools and public spaces to see immediate improvements

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered sweeping emergency measures to resolve sanitation, sewerage and beautification issues in Sargodha, directing authorities to ensure visible improvement across the city within three days.

Acting swiftly on the chief minister’s notice, Provincial Adviser Shoaib Mirza reached Sargodha and chaired an emergency meeting at the Commissioner’s Office, where a comprehensive review of the city’s conditions was conducted and binding directives were issued to all relevant departments.

The meeting decided that all sanitation and sewerage-related problems must be addressed within the stipulated three-day deadline. The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) was instructed to immediately drain stagnant water from different parts of the city, while additional machinery under the Suthra Punjab programme was ordered to be deployed in the field to accelerate cleaning operations.

Officials were directed to ensure thorough washing and cleaning of roads, bazaars and streets, while the immediate completion of zebra crossings and traffic safety arrangements outside schools was also ordered to safeguard students.

For rural areas of the district, authorities were instructed to devise permanent solutions to ponds and standing water. Immediate improvement of parks, green belts and road medians was also ordered, along with the restoration of non-functional streetlights. The meeting further decided to launch indiscriminate action against encroachments.

The meeting made it clear that strict action would be taken against officers failing to comply with the directives. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has set a clear target of transforming Sargodha into a model city in terms of cleanliness and beautification by Eid.

A detailed progress report will be submitted to the chief minister after three days.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner Sargodha Division Hafiz Shaukat Ali, Deputy Commissioner Sargodha Hussain Ahmed Raza Chaudhry, Additional Commissioner, Director Development, Managing Director Wasa, Chief Executive Officer of the Solid Waste Management Company, and representatives from the Municipal Corporation, District Council, Parks and Horticulture Authority, Highways Department and Local Government Department.

CM Expresses Grief Over Demise of Son of Senior Reporter

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the passing away of the son of Dawn News senior reporter Adnan Sheikh.

The chief minister extended her heartfelt condolences and sympathies to Adnan Sheikh and the bereaved family in this hour of grief. She prayed that may Almighty Allah grant eternal rest to the departed soul and give patience and strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss.