Pakistan has moved on, ‘Adiala man’ now history: Maryam

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said on Friday “Pakistan has started making progress with the return of ‘Nawaz Sharif era’, and the man sitting in Adiala jail has become a thing of the past”.

“The person sitting in Adiala does not realise that Pakistan has moved forward. That chapter is closed. The world saw the dignity and respect Shehbaz Sharif received in Saudi Arabia today,” she remarked while addressing the launching ceremony of electric bus service in Sargodha on Friday.

She said the salute given by Saudi warplanes to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s plane upon entering Saudi airspace was not for an individual but for the entire nation of Pakistan.

While addressing the gathering, Maryam launched a scathing criticism of former prime minister Imran Khan, recalling that “there used to be a prime minister who was asked to get off a plane for indecent behaviour.” In contrast, she said, Shehbaz Sharif was accorded the rare honour of a military salute from Saudi Arabia, a gesture that reflected Pakistan’s growing global stature.

Maryam highlighted Saudi Arabia’s statement that any attack on Pakistan would be treated as an attack on the Kingdom, describing it as an unprecedented diplomatic success. “The defence agreement with Saudi Arabia is not just a piece of paper — it is a landmark achievement. Pakistan has been honoured with the responsibility of guarding the Two Holy Mosques,” she declared.

The CM also praised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PM Shehbaz Sharif for their contributions to national development. Highlighting economic recovery, she said the Pakistan Stock Exchange is breaking records and global institutions are recognising Pakistan’s economic improvement and declining inflation. She said that respect on the world stage is not achieved by mere slogans or social media outbursts, but through dedication, service to the nation and good governance.

She also inaugurated the electric bus project in Sargodha, and announced major public welfare initiatives aimed at transforming transport, health, and disaster relief sectors in the province. She announced that 60 electric buses would become operational within Sargodha city and 105 such buses would be run in Sargodha division. She reiterated her commitment to ensure free travel for women, senior citizens, students and special persons, highlighting the importance of accessible and dignified public transport for all.

The CM declared that fully damaged houses due to flooding would be compensated with Rs1 million, while partially damaged houses would receive Rs500,000. She announced that rehabilitation operations for flood victims will start within two weeks. She reaffirmed, “Maryam Nawaz will not rest until last flood victim is safely rehabilitated and resettled in his home.”

The CM highlighted that Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha, a long-awaited facility, had been made operational within one year and would soon become fully functional. She announced that top cardiologists and surgeons were being posted in the institute and accommodation was being provided for medical staff to ensure round-the-clock patient care.

She said Pakistan is the only country in Asia apart from China using Co-Ablation technology for non-surgical treatment of cancer through chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She said the Co-Ablation Centre at Mayo Hospital Lahore had already become operational, providing free treatment costing Rs1.6 million per patient. She disclosed that similar facilities would be established in Rawalpindi, Multan and in the second phase in Sargodha.

Commenting on recent devastating floods in Punjab, Maryam said the province faced worst flooding in decades, affecting 27 districts and over 5,000 villages. Over 2.5 million people and 2.2 million livestock were rescued and relocated to safer areas. She stated that relief teams delivered food, medicines and milk even to remote areas 10 miles away from main routes.

She criticised the past governments for neglecting public transport in cities like Sargodha. She said travel between Bhera and Sargodha, which previously cost Rs200 per person, would now cost only Rs20 via electric buses.

The chief minister also expressed gratitude to the people of Sargodha for displaying their staunch loyalty and support.

Separately, CM Maryam Nawaz chaired a meeting to review losses caused by recent floods and announced a large-scale relief and rehabilitation operation across the province.

It was decided to establish Flood Relief Committees at district and tehsil levels, supported by survey forms, a mobile app, and a central monitoring dashboard that the Chief Minister will personally oversee. She directed authorities to adopt simple procedures for aid distribution and ensure immediate restoration of roads, bridges, and damaged infrastructure in affected areas.

According to a briefing by the Revenue Department, the floods have devastated 3,775 villages in 64 tehsils across 27 districts, damaging 63,200 concrete houses and 309,684 mud houses.

Survey teams comprising officials from the Urban Unit, Revenue Department, Agriculture Department, and Pakistan Army will carry out data collection to ensure transparency and accuracy.