CM pledges equitable uplift

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said the province's development focus is no longer limited to any city but extends to all 41 districts of the province. Speaking to members of the Punjab Assembly and PML-N election candidates from Multan, she said development projects were being planned for the first time while keeping in view the population ratios. The chief minister said modern green electric buses had been introduced in remote areas of Punjab before being launched in Lahore. She also said a cancer ablation machine imported from China had been installed at Nishtar Hospital in Multan after its introduction at Mayo Hospital in Lahore and the treatment had already begun. She said the machine would provide non-surgical cancer treatment not only to patients from Multan but also to those from other provinces. Development projects and public issues of Multan were discussed in the meeting. According to a statement, the lawmakers thanked the CM for the construction of the Jalalpur Pirwala and Noraj Bhutta flood protection embankments in record time. The chief minister agreed to a proposal for the construction of a bridge over the Chenab between Shujaabad and Khan Garh and directed authorities to examine a suggestion for converting a jail site into a park. She also ordered expansion and redesigning of the Khanewal Road. The chief minister ordered that lawmakers be kept involved in development projects in their constituencies until their completion. The lawmakers expressed support for the chief minister and praised her government's development and law-and-order measures. They said the benefits of development had started reaching the people and described the government's flood response and measures against land grabbing as significant. They said Punjab had emerged as an example of development and the chief minister had taken a lead in the province's development. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also issued a statement expressing appreciation for successful security operations against terrorists in Balochistan. In another development, a team of the Chief Minister's Inspection Team (CMIT) paid a surprise visit to the Suthra Punjab machinery store in Shorkot. The team headed by Special Assistant Shoaib Mirza inspected the equipment and checked their condition and functionality.