Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated the electric bus project in Sargodha, offering free travel for senior citizens and students. She emphasized that development will now begin from smaller cities instead of major urban centers. During her speech, she highlighted that Sargodha never had a proper public transport system, leaving passengers dependent on broken and overcrowded buses. She assured residents that the new buses would provide a modern, safe, and dignified mode of travel, with separate sections for women and CCTV cameras installed for security.
Maryam Nawaz also announced that the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha has begun functioning and will soon be fully operational. She shared her disappointment upon learning that Sargodha lacked a heart hospital during her earlier visit and assured that specialists from across Punjab will now serve there. This will save heart patients from traveling to Faisalabad or Lahore for critical treatment. She mentioned plans to invite Nawaz Sharif to officially inaugurate the institute next month, marking a milestone in Sargodha’s healthcare development.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister revealed that she launched a similar electric bus service in Mianwali a day earlier, which brought immense joy to the people there. She noted that fares have been significantly reduced, citing an example where travel from Bhera to Sargodha previously cost Rs. 200 on broken buses, but now passengers will pay only Rs. 20. She underlined that this initiative would improve affordability and comfort while ensuring that women, students, senior citizens, and special persons can travel without any fare burden.
Speaking about recent floods, Maryam Nawaz explained that Punjab faced one of the worst floods in its history due to water released from India, which caused devastation in three rivers. She stated that 27 cities and 5,000 villages were affected but credited her government’s alert response for preventing even greater losses. She added that 2.5 million people were rescued and relocated to safer areas, with essential supplies like food and medicines delivered swiftly. Hundreds of thousands of animals were also saved and moved to safety.
The Chief Minister announced Pakistan’s largest-ever relief package to support flood-affected families. She confirmed that families who lost their homes completely will receive Rs. 1 million each, while those with partially damaged homes will get Rs. 500,000. Additionally, families who lost cattle will be compensated with Rs. 500,000, and Rs. 50,000 will be given for smaller animals like goats or sheep. She assured the people that she will not rest until every flood-affected family is resettled, emphasizing Punjab’s commitment to valuing both humans and animals.