RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that real progress is achieved through hard work, not “magic or shortcuts”, adding that some politicians “spent years in politics without delivering anything” and even mentioning their names “reminds one of disrespect”.
Speaking at a ceremony in Rawalpindi, she said she was pleased with the city’s improved cleanliness system and ongoing development projects. She added that the government was providing residents with modern and affordable transport facilities.
“Whether it is the metro or electric buses, these are gifts from the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) to the people,” she said, adding that all development schemes were being completed on schedule.
Maryam said that every time the PMLN came to power, the country witnessed tangible progress. “The PMLN gave Pakistan mega development projects. When one thinks of the PMLN, motorways and infrastructure come to mind — even our opponents acknowledge this,” she said.
She added that Pakistan’s first government-run cancer hospital was nearing completion, while the next cancer hospitals would be built in Rawalpindi and DG Khan after the Lahore facility became operational.
Highlighting the party’s development record, she said the Rawalpindi Metro Bus project was built by Shehbaz Sharif and major works in Murree were executed under Nawaz Sharif. “No one except the PMLN has ever laid a single brick for Pakistan or Punjab,” she remarked.
“When certain people come to mind, one thinks of abuse and unrest — but when you think of Nawaz Sharif, you think of infrastructure and development,” she added.
The chief minister said the PMLN always accelerated national development but whenever the party was pushed out of power, the country regressed. She said 20,000 kilometres of roads had been constructed in Punjab in the past year alone.
Earlier, Maryam Nawaz inaugurated a new electric public bus service in Rawalpindi, introducing a modern, affordable and environmentally friendly transport system for the city. At the inauguration of Electro Bus Phase-II, she announced a Rs30 billion signal-free corridor for Rawalpindi, construction of the Thal Expressway from Rajana to Bhakkar, and directed authorities to immediately begin work on a new bus terminal in the city.
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz announced a Rs100 billion programme to install a modern drainage and sewerage system in villages, along with plans to introduce new anti-harassment legislation. Expressing optimism, she said every coming day in Punjab would be better than the last.
In Rawalpindi, she said 80 new green buses were a gift to the city, praising the renewed cleanliness, greenery and energy of the area. She noted that the Nawaz Sharif Flyover on Adiala Road was nearing completion, promising major relief from long travel times.
Maryam said work had begun on a 25-kilometre signal-free corridor — featuring nine underpasses and three flyovers — from Islamabad Expressway to Peshawar Road, at a cost of Rs30 billion. The project, expected to finish next year, would directly benefit 200,000 commuters daily. She added that the scale of work on roads and hospitals in the past 18 months was unprecedented.
She said crime had fallen by 70pc due to CCD operations, and strict action was being taken against drug dealers in educational institutions. Punjab was being made weapons-free, she added. Violence against women would not be tolerated, and the government was ensuring public safety.
CM Maryam Nawaz paid glowing tribute to Pakistan’s security forces for eliminating 39 militants in successful operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the Khawarij had been “sent to hell”.