Maryam Nawaz accuses PTI of ‘bringing down its own government’ in KP

SAHIWAL: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday of “bringing down its own government” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that the party had diverted resources from public welfare towards political protests.

Addressing a laptop and Honhaar Scholarship cheque distribution ceremony at the University of Sahiwal, she criticised the PTI-led province following the imposition of emergency rule, contrasting its governance with Punjab’s development initiatives.

“PTI has not been removed from government by anyone. It has brought down its own government,” she said.

Maryam described the party’s long march as one that had ended up undermining its own government. She alleged that billions of rupees allocated to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past 13 years should have been spent on students, healthcare, roads, colleges and universities rather than protests.

“If Punjab is entering the age of AI today, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is still sitting in the Stone Age,” she said.

She also criticised what she described as an unprecedented situation in which one province had turned against another province and the federal government.

Referring to the deaths of children in a school building collapse in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief minister expressed grief over the loss of young lives and offered condolences to their families.

Maryam highlights education and youth initiatives

The Punjab chief minister said laptops and scholarships were being awarded to deserving students on merit, without political recommendations or personal influence. She congratulated the recipients and paid tribute to their parents and teachers, saying the students had earned the awards through their own hard work and ability.

“Today, recommendations have lost, and merit has won in Punjab,” she said.

Maryam said the provincial government was opening up its resources to ensure that deserving students did not abandon their education because of financial constraints. She added that students from different political and social backgrounds had been considered without discrimination.

She said the government was working to improve educational facilities, including the provision of drinking water and washrooms in schools, alongside the establishment of artificial intelligence and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics laboratories.

The chief minister said the government had trained 500,000 young people in different skills over two years. She added that graduates were being offered internships paying between Rs60,000 and Rs65,000 a month under the “Work for Punjab” initiative.

She also said the government was considering assigning responsibilities to graduates of schools, colleges and universities to help them contribute to their communities.

Maryam said the provincial government had appointed vice-chancellors at Punjab’s universities on merit after conducting interviews. She also highlighted the Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence initiative, saying it aimed to provide students from less affluent backgrounds with facilities comparable to those at leading private schools.

The chief minister announced that the government would take steps to construct a girls’ hostel at the University of Sahiwal. She also directed the authorities to work towards restoring scholarships for nursing students.

100,000 electric bikes for students

Maryam said Punjab would distribute 100,000 electric bikes this year, with a larger share allocated to female students.

She said the scheme had received more than 1.2 million registrations and over 600,000 applications, which were being scrutinised. The first distribution was scheduled for November 5.

The chief minister said the government had set monthly instalments at Rs3,000 to make the bikes affordable and would provide free driving lessons to students who did not know how to ride them.

She urged parents to trust their daughters and encouraged brothers to support their sisters, saying greater independence would allow young women to pursue their ambitions without having to depend on relatives for transport.

Maryam also said the provincial government had included students from religious seminaries in its initiatives and reserved a share of the laptop and scholarship schemes for students from other provinces and territories.

CM cites public safety and development projects

Maryam said her government had prioritised law and order before expanding mobility initiatives for students.

Referring to a video showing a Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority official slapping a shopkeeper in Rahim Yar Khan, she said she had ordered the official’s arrest after seeing the footage.

She said the shopkeeper had reopened a sealed shop, but that this did not justify the use of violence. According to Maryam, the official was arrested and subsequently released on bail before being arrested again.

The chief minister said she would not tolerate violations of citizens’ dignity, safety or property rights. She added that people could report problems through the police emergency number 15 or the Maryam Ko Batain complaint service.

Maryam also claimed that livestock theft had declined by 80% to 90% across Punjab, saying cattle and other animals were essential sources of income for rural families.

She highlighted road construction, urban beautification, agricultural support and healthcare initiatives, saying development should not be limited to Lahore and that cities such as Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan also deserved improved facilities.

She said the provincial government had provided one million Kisan Cards to farmers and distributed 30,000 tractors. She also highlighted a housing programme for low-income families and said land was being provided to people without agricultural holdings.

On healthcare, Maryam said patients were receiving medicines at their doorsteps and that mobile clinics were taking treatment to people in underserved areas. She added that mobile healthcare services for workers would help them receive treatment without losing a day’s wages.

The chief minister also said the government was expanding its electric bus service. She said 700 buses were operating in Punjab, with the fleet expected to reach 3,000 within six to eight months.

According to Maryam, the standard fare remained Rs20 despite higher fuel prices, while women, students, senior citizens and other eligible groups could travel free. She said electric buses would eventually operate in all 148 tehs