Maryam Nawaz says public service, not political narratives, wins elections

JHELUM: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said political narratives, allegations and criticism had a limited “shelf life”, asserting that public service and development work ultimately determined electoral success.

She said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) repeatedly returned to power because of its service to the people, adding that voters supported those who delivered results rather than those who merely promoted political narratives.

“Talk and claims have a short shelf life. No narrative can compete with public service,” she said while addressing a Honhaar Scholarship and laptop distribution ceremony at Government Comprehensive High School in Jhelum.

The chief minister also announced that the Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence would be launched in Jhelum on December 15, while green bus service would begin in Dina, Sohawa and Pind Dadan Khan in January.

Maryam said that the Punjab government was building 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence across the province, offering air-conditioned classrooms, modern laboratories and qualified faculty.

She challenged critics to identify a public-sector school outside Punjab comparable to the new institutions, claiming that the model offered facilities not even available at some expensive private schools.

‘No tolerance for corruption’

Maryam said she did not claim that corruption had been completely eliminated from Punjab, but warned that she would not spare any minister if evidence of corruption emerged against them.

“I swear that if evidence of corruption emerges against any minister, I will not spare them,” she said, asking those who had objections to the government’s policies why they continued to hold ministerial positions instead of resigning.

She said every rupee in Punjab was being spent on public development and vowed to recover money from those who had misappropriated public funds.

“Those who have committed dishonesty will be made to return the money,” she said.

The chief minister also criticised previous governments, saying those who had earned a reputation for corruption and bribery were still living abroad.

Referring to the 13 to 14 years of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she said alleged corruption and financial irregularities from that period were now coming to light.

She added that she was speaking about Punjab and that governments in other provinces were answerable to their own people.

Development beyond major cities

Maryam said her government had broken with the past practice of concentrating development projects in major cities, claiming that smaller districts were now receiving greater attention.

She said the same green buses operating in Lahore and Rawalpindi were also being introduced in Khushab, Layyah and Bhakkar, without any difference in service quality.

The chief minister said more than 100,000 scooters would be provided to students across Punjab, with recipients receiving proper training. Students were also being offered free travel on Green Buses across the province.

She said the government had built thousands of kilometres of roads, with smaller cities receiving a greater share of the projects than Lahore.

Referring to healthcare facilities, Maryam said free stents and pacemakers were being provided to heart patients at the Jhelum cardiac catheterisation (cath) lab, while cath labs were being established in 25 smaller districts.

She said that the provincial government was building the largest public-sector cancer hospital in Lahore.

The chief minister cited the case of a driver working in Dubai who travelled from Faisalabad to Jhelum for a heart procedure after his sister recommended the facility.

She said heart patients from Jhelum had previously been forced to travel to Rawalpindi or Lahore for treatment.

Housing loans and scholarships

Maryam said the provincial government had provided loans for the construction of homes to 250,000 families under its Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar scheme over the past 18 months to two years.

She recalled meeting a woman in Jhelum who had previously paid Rs15,000 in monthly rent but was now paying an instalment of Rs14,000 towards her own home.

She said many families without sufficient resources had managed to build homes within months through the scheme.

Questioning previous governments, she asked why scholarships, laptops, cath labs and housing loans had not been provided to people in the past.

The chief minister said education was the best investment, adding that children from across Punjab had the potential to bring recognition to the country.

She congratulated the parents of scholarship recipients, saying their children had earned recognition through hard work and were helping fulfil their families’ dreams.

Addressing female students, she urged them to pursue their ambitions without allowing anyone to tell them that certain fields or opportunities were not meant for them.

Maryam said she felt grateful when she watched videos of students opening their laptops, adding that she was pleased to see young people holding laptops instead of sticks, stones and bombs.

‘Government stands with the poor’

The chief minister said her government had established a system in which people could access services on merit without needing references, influence or personal connections.

She said government jobs were being awarded to deserving people from poor backgrounds rather than wealthy individuals with connections.

Maryam also referred to an incident involving a salesgirl at a garment shop, warning that anyone who assaulted a woman from a disadvantaged background would face action.

She said no influential person should feel entitled to mistreat an ordinary citizen under her government.

The chief minister said she had spent full days in Sahiwal, Attock and Mandi Bahauddin and would do the same in Jhelum, adding that smaller cities were now witnessing development that had previously been concentrated in major urban centres.

She claimed that the government had launched projects worth trillions of rupees over the past three years.

Maryam also referred to recent elections in Gujranwala and Sahiwal, saying opposition groups and banned organisations had mobilised against the PML-N but the party had still secured victory.

She said political opponents were stepping up their activities as elections approached but had failed to deliver comparable development work.

“People vote for public service, not narratives,” she said.