Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif attends, as chief guest, the inauguration ceremony of the newly constructed arena at the Wagah Border in Lahore. The chief minister formally inaugurates the arena.
Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, the Lahore Corps Commander, provincial ministers and senior bureaucracy also attend the ceremony.
The special inauguration ceremony of the newly built arena at the Joint Check Post, Wagah, is organised by Pakistan Rangers (Punjab). Under the expansion project, the seating capacity of the arena is increased from 7,500 to 25,000 spectators.
In addition to the expansion of the arena, several new constructions are completed at the Joint Check Post, Wagah. These include a theme park reflecting the Partition of the Subcontinent, featuring a railway station model, displays of military equipment and a martyrs’ memorial.
A Pakistan Museum is also established within the arena, showcasing the country’s history and culture from the independence movement to the present day. The project further includes additional offices, barracks for Punjab Rangers personnel, a prayer area for worshippers and food courts. A spacious car parking facility is developed, while an Alamgiri-style gateway, inspired by Lahore Fort architecture, is installed at Bab-e-Azadi.
The national flag installed at the Joint Check Post, Wagah, previously standing at 115 metres, now flies at a height of 139 metres. The flag is the seventh tallest in Asia and the tallest in South Asia.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced 2026 as the “Year of Youth,” reaffirming her government’s commitment to public welfare, prosperity and accelerated development in the province.
In her New Year message, the chief minister extended greetings to the nation and offered prayers for the well-being of the country and its people. She expressed the hope that the new year would bring peace and security not only to Pakistan but to the entire world, and that Allah Almighty would bless the people of Punjab with happiness and prosperity.
Maryam Nawaz said she prayed for every young person in Pakistan to move forward on the path of progress and success, expressing optimism that 2026 would prove to be even better than the previous year, spreading joy and hope across society.
Highlighting the performance of her government, the chief minister said that all promises made to the people in 2025 were fulfilled and that the momentum of development and prosperity would continue in the new-year. She stated that more than 120,000 houses were constructed in 2025, while over 20 million patients received treatment at their doorsteps through field hospitals and clinic-on-wheels services.
She added that financial assistance for the rehabilitation of flood affectees was successfully provided, while Punjab’s youth benefited from the distribution of laptops and the award of Honahar Scholarships. The chief minister noted that the two phases of providing 20,000 tractors to farmers were nearing completion, with a further 10,000 tractors to be distributed.
Outlining key initiatives for the coming year, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that 2026 would bring several major public welfare projects, including the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital, Sargodha Cardiology Institute, and Jinnah Cardiology Centre, among other development initiatives.
She expressed confidence that, with the grace of Allah, the journey of development and prosperity that began in Punjab in 2024 would gain even greater momentum in 2026.