Lahore: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari on Thursday said the echo of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s public welfare initiatives was being heard across the country, asserting that the opposition should have focused on development projects in its own province instead of ‘measuring roads’.
Addressing a press conference at the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) here, she said the Chief Minister’s commitment to taking resources to the grassroots had now become visible through practical initiatives, including the provision of medicines and homes at people’s doorsteps and the ‘Suthra Punjab’ programme for door-to-door garbage collection.
She announced that Basant would be celebrated in Lahore from January 29 to February 7, 2027, with kite flying allowed for 10 days, while activities would remain suspended on February 5 due to Kashmir Day. She urged citizens to fully enjoy the public festivities, saying preparations for manufacturing kites and kite strings had already begun.
Azma Bokhari said a separate cancer unit would be established at every district headquarters in Punjab, while Rural Health Centres were being developed as small, functional health units to reduce the burden on major hospitals.
She said 130,000 houses had already been completed in Punjab under public welfare initiatives, while another 100,000 houses would be constructed soon. She said the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme was among the initiatives aimed at providing housing and basic facilities to people at their doorsteps.
The provincial minister said crime indices showed a decline in crime in Punjab, adding that Lahore was currently a Safe City and the entire province was being transformed into a Safe City.
She said the PML-N had emerged victorious in Bahawalpur and had also won all by-elections held in Punjab. She added that the Chief Minister had been nominated for an award and would soon travel to receive it.
Taking aim at the opposition, Azma Bokhari said politics of long marches and sit-ins had remained its focus, whereas the provincial government was concentrating on development. ‘I wish they had built roads instead of measuring them,’ she remarked.
She said the state would not be allowed to be held hostage and peaceful governance would not be compromised by political agitation. Referring to possible protests in Islamabad, she said, ‘If these people come to Islamabad, many surprises will be waiting for them.’
On the security situation, she said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had suffered the highest number of terrorist attacks in 2024, while 1,588 incidents were reported there in 2025. She claimed that 71 percent of the terrorist incidents reported in the country occurred in the province and 502 police personnel were martyred.
Azma Bokhari said Pakistan was not against any neighbouring country, but if the territory of Afghanistan, India or any other neighbouring state was used against Pakistan, action would be taken.
She questioned statements advocating dialogue while terrorism continued to affect the country, and criticized what she described as attempts to use police personnel for political activities and long marches.
The minister said various development projects were being implemented under the leadership of CM Maryam Nawaz, adding that the government’s policy of taking resources and basic services to the grassroots was now reflected in multiple public welfare initiatives.